For years, butter production was an individual home activity. Cream was mixed in a container to form butter lumps. As the butter became thicker, the liquid buttermilk was drawn off, the butter washed and removed.
When the washed butter was removed from the churn in the olden days, it was placed into a "butter" bowl to be weighed. Paddles were used to remove the butter from the flat wooden bowl and to shape butter balls. Or, the butter was placed in a specially designed mold, usually a family's treasured possession, or formed into rolls or blocks. If the butter was to be stored for later use, salt was worked into the mixture and the butter packed into molds or tubs and stored in water crocks in the family well.
I don't have a "family well" so I usually package mine up for the freezer. My butter bowl has been a wonderful tool in creating fantastic butter for our family. I've also discovered that the more I use it, the more beautiful it becomes.
Things I've learned about butter making...
1. Cream turns quicker when it's not as fresh.
2. Butter is a wonderful vehicle for carrying flavors.
3. Making butter is messy.
4. There is NO substitute for "real" butter.
5. Butter love honey :)
6. First cream, then whipped cream, THEN butter!
7. True butter milk is very different than skimmed milk with culture.
8. Butter leaves buttermilk, and buttermilk, heated, makes cheese.
9. Making good butter is a lost art. Making bad butter is easy.
10. There is only one molecule difference between Margarine and plastic.
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