Monday, December 15, 2008

Recent culinary adventures

It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but we've never cooked a roast before, other than in the crockpot. (We call it crock roast.)

My husband and I have contrasting cooking styles. I describe his as, "Throw it up in the air - it'll probably come down a roast." I believe his description of my technique includes writing a book on how to cook a roast before ever opening the oven.



We eventually worked our way through the wilderness, with the help of hasty phone calls to relatives. It was tasty.



Homemade buttermilk and butter from this past weekend.



We'd made butter once before. Or actually, I made butter once before, while someone else sulked and refused to participate, because I'd started without him.

Anyway, it's very easy, if you want to try it. There are lots of detailed tutorials on the internet, but the simple version is:

1. Buy heavy whipping cream. Bring to room temperature.
2. Pour into a jar with a lid (and ample headspace).
3. Shake it.

That's about it. You have to shake for about 20 minutes, and you have to rinse it when it's done. From the small cream container, you'll get butter equivalent to one to two sticks.

Now, if I could only find someone with a cow, I could make it from fresh cream, mmmmm. I've had it that way, once, and oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, was it wonderful.

10 comments:

Latane Barton said...

I think there ought to be someone in your neck of the woods that has a cow. ha

Since someone pouted because you did the butter without him, next time play catch with the container, pitching it back and forth between the two of you. Just be sure neither of you drop it.

Gail said...

What fun you are having in the kitchen! My dear spouse and I don't have the same styles at all! Although we have reached detente!

Gail

robin andrea said...

Here's why I love reading blogs: Now I want to make butter. It would not have occurred to me to try, but it does sound like a great idea.

R.Powers said...

Dang! I'm with Robin, I wanna make butter now.

The Country Experience said...

Oh no, please don't let my husband read this post. If he finds out it's that easy to make homemade butter.... The next thing I know he'll be bringing home a cow!

(I've started a post about the chicken fever going on at our house, maybe I'll finish it tonight. Save me! Please!)

Anonymous said...

So wait, I knew I could make butter in a jar as I remembered that from elementary school cooking class. But you have to wash it? How do you wash butter?

Anonymous said...

I've never cooked a roast either.

Ericka said...

a slow cooker totally counts as cooking!

um. how DO you wash butter?

Rurality said...

WLB, lots of cows, yeah, but I don't know their owners!

Gail, I have a feeling the differing styles are not that uncommon. :)

RA, it's fun just to be able to say you've done it!

FC, you should! You can even put herbs and such in it.

TCE, you probably NEED a cow. Then you could give me some of the milk. :) I'm familiar with chicken fever - been through that myself.

Laura, yeah it's really rinsing it, to get all the buttermilk out. Then you paddle it (squish it around) to get the water out. This batch seems to have come out better in that regard. The first one was a bit more watery - I think I shook it too long after it had become butter.

Pablo, it's not that hard, but I think the crock pot makes it much easier. (Plus it doesn't dry out.)

Erika, it's not hard! You just run some water over it really, and rinse it. When the water stays clear, it's done. Apparently if you leave the buttermilk in, the butter will spoil quickly.

Oh and you can put salt in it after it's washed & the water is pressed out. The salt makes it last longer, I believe.

lisa said...

We made butter in elementary school with an actual wooden churn, but this sounds way easier! (And more fun.)