Friday, February 13, 2015

Butter

"Smell this" she says. "I think it's gone bad."

I know the joke. You stick your nose up close and BANG, the offending object is bopped into your face.

Not this time, my dear...

What do you do when you have a pint of cream that your partner says is "sour"? First, I smelled it and I wouldn't say "sour" but rather, cultured.

I had bought a pint of Twinbrook Creamery cream, and it's "sell by" date is next week. And it hadn't been opened. But it's solid in the jar. No amount of shaking budged anything.

First, I let it sit out to come completely to room temperature. Then, using a table knife, got all the contents into a bowl. There was some liquid cream, but mostly there was semi-hardened cream-like substance. Then I whisked, getting it all broken up and mixed. Then it seized up very quickly, making it impossible to whisk further. So I let it rest, came back, banged it around some more, and slowly, some buttermilk started to come out. Banged and "whisked" some more, making it look like I was re-incorporating the buttermilk into the cream, but then it broke. And the buttermilk flowed out.

Next, gather up all the solids into my hand, go to the sink and run the cold water, and massage the lump under the flow of COLD water. And I had butter.

And it tastes so good.