Dairy products
milk-fat product churned from cream or sour cream
old dairy-farm tradition
Cream, sour cream, butter churn, buttermilk, clarified butter, salting, bread, porridges
Homemade butter, Churned butter
Churning butter
Butter forms when whipping or churning cream causes the milk fat to gather and the buttermilk to separate. In the past this was done with butter churns and household dairy tools. Classic butter is highly concentrated milk fat, about 82%; during churning, 1-3 mm butter grains form, then are separated from the buttermilk, rinsed, and kneaded into a unified mass.
Sour-cream butter had a tangier, fuller taste. Sweet-cream butter is milder and more familiar today.
Buttermilk is not waste
Churning butter leaves buttermilk behind. In traditional cooking it was used for pancakes, dough, soups, or as a drink.
This shows the thrift of dairy farming: several foods can come from one product.
Salted and clarified butter
For longer storage, butter could be salted or clarified. Salting slows spoilage and adds flavor, while clarifying removes part of the water and milk proteins.
Clarified butter works well for frying and longer keeping, but its taste differs from fresh butter spread on bread.
Butter in Lithuanian dishes
Butter is added to porridges, potatoes, pancakes, cakes, kastinys, ragaišis, and many baked goods. It brings not only fat but also a gentle dairy aroma.
The simplest pairing, black rye bread with butter, remains one of the clearest flavors of the traditional table.
Recipe
How to make homemade sviestas
Butter can be churned from heavy cream or sour cream. Butter made from cultured sour cream has a sharper flavor, while sweet-cream butter is milder.
Ingredients
- 600 ml 35% cream or rich sour cream
- Cold water for rinsing
- 1/4 tsp salt, if you want salted butter
Method
- Whip or churn the cream or sour cream until yellow butter grains separate from the buttermilk.
- Pour off the buttermilk and rinse the butter grains several times in very cold water.
- Knead the butter with a spatula or your hands until the remaining liquid is pressed out.
- Mix in the salt, shape the butter into a piece, and keep it cold.
Notes
Buttermilk can be used for pancakes, bread, or soups.
Unwashed butter turns sour faster because buttermilk remains in it.
