Hi folks I'm skimming fresh cream off day old jersey milk. WHen I take the cream out of the refrigerator and go to make buter, it takes FOREVER for the stuff to turn to butter. Tastes great, good consistency, but honestly, hours of churning???!

What am I doing wrong?

Anncats

-- anncats (anncats2@yahoo.com), September 15, 2001

Answers

Ann: try letting the cream sit on the counter until it reaches about 55 degrees,if I remember correctly. Really cold cream does seem to take forever to turn to butter. Good luck! Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), September 15, 2001.

Hi I was told the same thing, to let the cream warm up to room temperature at least. Also, I was told that if you leave it out on the counter overnight, it makes sour cream butter - but don't leave it longer than that. I did that last time and loved it, but wondered if the kids would complain. They love it too, and said that they liked having so much flavor in the butter.

-- Laurie (laurie@folkarts.com), September 15, 2001.

Well Anncats, I am sure there are plenty of butter making experts just waiting to answer you but as none have stepped forward here is my little bit.

When I was a little kid all the household butter was home made and although I considered turning the churn to be a blatant example of forced child labour I am sure it did not take 4 hours!

Should the cream even be in the refrigerator? I don't know but it certainly wasn't in our case. What about the speed of the churn? I know too fast will give whipped cream but anything less will make butter, at least I think so.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), September 15, 2001.

What are you using to churn it? Room temperature cream takes literally SECONDS in a blender. A few minutes in a food processor, and maybe 15 minutes in an electric mixer. Even shaking it in a jar shouldn't take more than half an hour. Kathie

-- Kathie in Western Washington (twinrosefarm@centurytel.net), September 15, 2001.

I make butter all the time, using an electric churn. (Used to do the shake-a-jar thing.) Cream churns fastest at 60 to 65 degrees, and should be at least two or three days old. Refrigerate it for a WEEK and you will get even better results! In the electric churn, it takes about 15 minutes. If shaking, it really depends on the vigor of the shaker. I declare it would take my laid-back 15 yr old son a full day to do it. It took me about an hour. (But then I didnt wear myself out trying to beat the clock, either. I just half-filled a gallon jar with cream and rocked it back and forth over one knee while cruising the internet.) In the blender, it takes less than 5 minutes, if I remember correctly. But it wears out your blender fast! And they dont make new blenders like they used to, so if you have a good one, dont wear it out on making butter. You will be sorry. (As I am.)

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), September 15, 2001.

I liked the thing that Mrs. Ben Franklin had old Ben rig up for her-- it was a churn on some kind of wheels which turned over when she sat in her rocking chair00that way you could be quieting a croupy baby, shelling peas, knitting, etc. while you are making butter. I want one of those.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), September 15, 2001.

How about an ice cream maker? Would that churn butter?

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), September 16, 2001.

Hi everyone Thank you so much for your answers, I appreciate them. I am going to try warming, it, aging it, and using the ice cream maker to make butter. I've been using a hand cranked butter churn, the one with the glass bottle and a crank on it.

There HAS to be a better way to do this and I'm going to find it with your help!

Anncats

-- Annncats (anncats2@Yahoo.com), September 16, 2001.

Stick with the machine made for the job, it will only take a few minutes when you get everything else sorted. A churn 'churns' the cream whereas I expect an icecream maker will tend to aerate the cream.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), September 16, 2001.

I let the cream warm to room temp and then use the blender. It takes 3 to 4 MINUTES to make butter in the blender.

Stephanie Masters

-- Stephanie Masters (ajsd@gateway.net), September 17, 2001.

I go to Tanners Dairy in richboro,PA once every other month and buy 2 galons of heavy cream (there cream is only hours from the pasturizing process), Pouring a 1/2 galon at a time, I WHIP the cream in a mixer with a wire whip, it turns into butter in 9 mins. First there is the separation, pour off the skimmed milk then allow to whip the congeiled fat for 3 mins and wala whipped, soft creamy Butter. That freezes VERY well

-- Tim (therecipeman@bobrecruiters.com), October 30, 2001.