I love butter, there is no hiding that fact. However, I'm pretty picky with the butter that I do consume, especially when I'm at home. For the past several months I have been making cultured butter at home. It takes a couple of days (mostly wait time) but the end results are pretty amazing. Cultured butter is butter that has some cultures that are added to it to add flavor. I use a mesophilic lactic culture (lactic ferment) which thrives at room temp and imparts this amazingly buttery flavor to well, butter (people also add it to cheeses such as brie and camembert for the same buttery flavor). It's well worth the time and energy it takes.
As I really don't wish to lose this recipe I will document it here.
Cultured Butter (makes a ton of butter and buttermilk)
3 Lt Heavy Cream (I use organic)
Meso II or Aroma B starter culture
Method
1. Cool cream to 14-16C in a cool water bath.
2. Add 1/8tsp culture and gently stir in.
3. Allow to ripen at 14-16C for 20 hours.
4. Place cream in fridge for 4-6 hours.
5. Pour into churn and allow temp to rise to 12C.
Churn at 12C it will take 15-30min. Don't let the temp increase too much (if it hits 13C cool down in cool water bath).
6. Strain butter through cheese cloth and squeeze out excess buttermilk (save the buttermilk!)
7. Knead the butter gently and remove excess buttermilk, add salt then pack the butter and put it away in the fridge.
It has a shelf life of around 4 weeks in the fridge or several months in the freezer.
Use the buttermilk for anything you would normally use it for (cakes, pancakes, scones, biscuits etc).
6 comments:
I've never actually heard of "cultured butter" No doubt it is fabulous in baked goods!
There is nothing better than some good butter on toast with a dash of salt on top. Love butter! Good job Rhiannon!
I love recipes like this. I'm new to your blog but having browsed your earlier entries I can tell you I'll be back. I love the food and recipes you feature here. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary
I... love butter. SooOOoo much. And cultured butter is amazing, yet sadly they don't sell cultured butter within 2 hours of where I'm living currently.
With this post you've passed on a very dangerously fantastic idea.
Yum.
It's an awesome idea! You can use your favorite cream (we have one from a local dairy that tastes like caramel!!) and make some seriously awesome butter. Amara - you need to try this.
If you are serious I can hook you up with the right cultures ;)
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