Hi all. So nice to read and 'recognize' many of you from my earlier visits via CS. Glad to 'see' Hoot, and others at this address. I reach this site by going through my 'favorites' list and clicking on CS magazine. Is there a more direct entry? Way back when, I asked questions about making butter. Got some great answers. A friend got me a gallon of unpasturized milk. The cream really did rise to the top. But, as it was in a plastic gallon jug, with that liiitle round opening, no way to get to the cream! Tried pouring it into large bowls to separate it again. That didn't work. You know what? I ended up pouring it down the sink. I know, I know. Wasteful. But, if anyone has a very easy, cheap way of separating the cream from the milk, please explain.( I tried spooning it off the top also, but that was kind of ineffective, too). Anyway--it's been nice to find you all. Stef

-- Stef (sbrogers@erie.net), July 20, 2001

Answers

Hi Stef! You could have poked a hole in the side of the jug(after the cream seperated), as far down towards the bottom as practical. Then you could have let the milk drain out from under the cream into one container, and the cream into another container when the cream started to come out the hole. I've heard you can use 'sun tea' jars for this same purpose,(same principle) but I haven't tried it.

-- StevenB (thicketyrowfarm@aol.com), July 21, 2001.

Stef when you get to this forum just add it to your favorites list then you can just go there to click on it. To skim cream really easily from nearly any container use a turkey baster....you know the big long plastic things with the suction bulb at one end. You can skim your cream really close with these. It will be easy to tell when you start to hit the skim milk....much different color.

-- Amanda (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), July 21, 2001.

I musta been doing it wrong, 'cause I had no luck with the turkey baster method! I get my raw milk in gallon glass jars and dip the cream off with a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Works great for me. I put a pint or so of cream in the blender and blend on low. It goes from cream to whipped cream to butter in a few short minutes. Add a pinch of salt, and enjoy. (I rinse it some.) I put this site on my favorites list, too.

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), July 21, 2001.

Hey Stef! Glad to see ya'll here. Stick around a spell.

When ya'll have this site pulled up --right click on the mouse and make a shortcut. That's what I did.

If ya'll don't have a butter churn--try and get a big mouthed jar like they have pickels in at the store. Let it set until the cream rises to the top and dip out with a cup or big spoon. I s'pose ya'll know the cream has to be at room temp [warm] or it will be almost impossible to make butter. Well-that's the way we used to do it. ole hoot. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), July 21, 2001.

Stef, If you are using Internet Explorer, click on "Favorites" at the very top of your screen and then select "Add to Favorites" If you are using Netscape, they call it a "Bookmark" the procedure is similar. Can't help if you are using something else.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 21, 2001.