This post is all about how to make goat butter with just milk, no cream separator required!
Goat butter can be tricky to make. Goat milk is naturally homogenized, so it can be tricky to separate the cream for making butter. Some people spoon it out by hand, others buy a cream separator and use centrifugal force to separate the cream. But no more! There is a way to make delicious, cultured goat butter using whole milk, no spoons or separators required! Here’s how to make goat butter with just milk.
The Key is Kefir
The key to making goat butter with just milk is kefir. When kefir grains digest the milk they weaken the bond between the milk and the cream, making it separate easier. You may have noticed the little globs of cream when you drink kefir, those are butter making’s best friend.
If you need kefir grains, I got mine from this shop on Etsy and have been tickled with them.
Cultured Butter is better
In addition to making butter, kefir actually makes the butter better for you. Cultured butter is thought to be an excellent source of vitamins A, D, E and K-2 as well as probiotics for your gut and mental health. Plus it tastes really good!
How to make Goat Butter with Just Milk
Make Kefir and CHurn
Start by fermenting your goat milk into kefir using kefir grains. Set is out for at least 24 hours, or until it begins to thicken. Then pour your kefir into a mixer, or you can just shake it in the jar by hand. You can use a blender, but blenders tend to get away from me and I end up over churning the butter. You can also use a plain hand mixer.
Shake, or churn on medium setting for the stand mixer for several minutes, it took mine 10 minutes or so. Goat milk takes longer to churn than cows, so don’t give up hope! Check on the kefir every few minutes to see how it’s doing. Watch for the butter to separate from the butter milk. You CAN over churn butter, so watch carefully. When it is ready it will look something like this:
It will be thick and foamy with little bits of butter on top. Butter will also be sticking to your whisk attachment.
Chill, Strain, Rinse and enjoy!
This part is the tricky part. Put your butter and butter milk in the fridge. The butter will be soft and warm from being churned. The fridge will help it firm up and make it easier to strain from the buttermilk. After it has had time to chill, pour through a somewhat fine strainer, don’t forget to save your buttermilk! (Don’t use cheesecloth, it is too fine and it will retain some of the kefir, which you don’t want.) It should catch the butter globs. Rinse the butter off in cold water, tossing them from hand to hand, then add salt to taste. Press as much water as you can out of the butter, then shape in your molds, or just put in little bowl to be enjoyed. Bon appetit!
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