 MOO Butter
Ingredients: 600ml cream Pinch salt 1 cup ice cold water You will need: A stand mixer, hand mixer or food processor (all will work, the stand mixer and food processor are the easiest to use) A bowl A sieve or cheesecloth (I prefer the cheesecloth) First things first, get your cream. The higher the fat content, the more butter you'll get per litre of cream and the nicer the butter will be, so skip the reduced fat creams and go for a good pure cream, or thickened cream or a full fat whipping cream. Tip that cream into the bowl of your mixer. You can use a handheld mixer or a food processor - both will turn your cream into butter just as easily as the stand mixer. Turn the mixer to medium speed and leave it for about 4 - 5 minutes. You'll see the cream thicken, then start to curdle, then you'll notice that it is separating and there will be liquid in the bottom of the bowl. This is the buttermilk. Don't waste it, you can use it in baking in place of milk or water. The creamy, yellow "butter" will be in clumps around the sides of the bowl. Now you need to get the butter to form one clump and completely separate from the buttermilk. To do this you'll need about 1 cup of ice cold water. I usually put a cup of cold water in the freezer for about half an hour before I start butter making. Turn the mixer back on and very slowly pour in about a quarter cup of the ice cold water. You'll see all the butter will clump together and there will be even more buttermilk in the bottom of the bowl. Take a sieve and place it over a bowl. Tip the butter and the buttermilk into the sieve. Now, with clean hands, you need to pick up the clump of butter and gently squeeze. You'll see more buttermilk coming out. Keep squeezing gently, until you can't get any more buttermilk from the butter. The aim is to remove all the buttermilk as the more you can remove the better your butter will keep. Once you've squeezed all the buttermilk from the butter you're done. You have lovely, fresh, unsalted butter. To add a little flavour to the butter, stir through a pinch or two of salt. I use a fork to mash the salt into the butter. Put the butter in a dish and keep it in the fridge for up to eight weeks. Pour the buttermilk into a jug and it will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge And there you have it, fresh butter in 20 minutes. From the September 2017 Cheapskates Journal
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 It's a cry I hear at least once a week. I wish there were a simple, straightforward answer, but there isn't. I can give you some hints that will help to ensure you make a successful batch of yoghurt every time. This is my MOO yoghurt recipe. To make 1 litre of yoghurt you will need: A clean 1 litre jar with a screw top lid A wide mouthed thermos that will hold the jar 2 cups milk powder (either full cream or skim, it’s up to you) 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt (this is the starter) Cool water (tap water is fine as long as it’s not really cold). Half fill the jar with cool water, add the milk powder and the 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt. Put the lid on and shake well to combine. Make sure there are no lumps of milk powder left. Fill the jar to the top with more water, seal and shake well. Shake it really well, for at least two minutes. You need the starter and the milk powder to completely dissolve. Place the jar in the thermos. Pour boiling water around the jar until it reaches approximately 2/3 of the way up the sides. Put the lid on the thermos, sealing it tight. Set aside for 8—12 hours, depending on how thick you like your yoghurt. Once it has reached the consistency you like, place the jar of yoghurt in the fridge to cool.  If your yoghurt doesn't set: First off, check your thermos. I have two: Easiyo and Aldi. These thermoses don't seal tightly, but the lid does sit right down on them. If the lid on your thermos doesn't sit right down, it could be leaking the heat needed to set the yoghurt. Did you use skim or low fat milk powder? Commercial yoghurts have thickener added, that's what makes even the low fat versions "thick and creamy". If you like a thick and creamy yoghurt then full cream milk powder is the answer. Is your starter old? If you've been saving some of each batch as a starter for the next batch you may find that over time it will weaken and finally just not work. After every five or six batches I suggest you use a fresh bought yoghurt as your starter. If you don't want to eat the leftovers, you can freeze it in ice-cube trays to start other batches. If your yoghurt isn't as thick as you like after 12 hours don't stress. You can safely leave it to set in the thermos for up to 24 hours. Your yoghurt won't stop thickening until it is chilled. The weather can play a big part in a good set or a runny fail. Too hot, too cold, too humid can all determine how long and how thick your yoghurt sets. In winter try wrapping the thermos in a towel for extra warmth and then topping up the boiling water every six hours or so. If your yoghurt doesn't set as thick as you like, don't throw it out and waste it. Use it to replace the liquid in cakes, pancakes, muffins, white sauce or custard or add it to milkshakes or smoothies. . Don't give up. At less than half the price per kilo of even the cheapest bought yoghurt, it is well worth persevering and fine-tuning your yoghurt making skills.  |
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