What you will need to make 1kg of delicious, cultured/lactic butter:
- 2 Litres of pasteurised Heavy Cream
- ¼ tspn of Flora Danica Culture or ¼ tspn CHN-22 (Mesophilic Culture)
- Food processor, mixer or butter churn
- Cheese Cloth or Butter Muslin
- Saucepan or Pot with lid (large enough to hold 2 litres)
- Ladle
- Colander
- Cheese salt
Cultured/Lactic Butter Method:
- Clean and sterilise everything that will be used during the butter making process!
- Preparing the Cream. Pour the cream into a saucepan or pot and gently warm to 19°C - 22°C (not direct heat).
- Add the Cultures. Add the Flora Danica or CHN-22 to the cream and stir it in gently and slowly but thoroughly (you do not want to aerate the cream and accidentally make whipped cream).
- Allow to Ripen. Cover and allow to set for 20 - 24 hours, maintaining a temperature of between 19°C - 22°C during this time.
- Refrigerate the thickened cream to 12°C.
- Churn the butter. Pour the cream into a food processor or mixer (or Butter Churn) and process on a low to medium speed until you see large lumps of butter forming. You will also see a milky liquid seeping from the butter, this is the Buttermilk.
- Drain the Butter. Remove the butter/buttermilk combination from your mixing vessel and place it in a colander lined with Cheese Cloth or Butter Muslin. (Save the Buttermilk, it's delicious)
- Wash the butter with cool, fresh water and knead with paddles or your hands until the liquid is clear.(It's important to force most of the buttermilk from the butter to stop it from going rancid)
- Salting. Add a pinch or two of Cheese salt and mould into shape.
- Refrigerate the finished product and enjoy!