# Washing Butter



## yankeeterrier

Anyone have tips or tricks for washing butter? I am currently using a vintage wood butter bowl and paddle, but I just hate doing it and end up with spoiled butter.


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## commonsense

I use a wide mouth quart canning jar to make my butter in small batches. I put cream in the jar, shake til I have butter, then run cold water over the butter, pressing the butter against the side of the jar with a metal serving spoon until the water runs clear. 

I usually put the jar with enough water to float the butter into the fridge until the butter has cooled off enough to allow me to form it into a stick without much mess. I wrap the stick in parchment paper, place it into a freezer baggie, and store the butter in the freezer until I need it. 

I have refrigerated some butter after the washing process and it lasts quite a long time. The key is to remove all the liquid from the butter, which is why you want the water to run clear after pressing and rinsing.


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## yankeeterrier

I break my butter in a blender, pour off most of the buttermilk and then put it in the bowl and press with the paddle. When I've got the bulk of the milk out I add water, press some more and repeat until it runs clear. I just findit very time consuming so I was hoping someone here had come up with something easier. A girl can dream, can't she?


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## whodunit

Once it becomes butter, I pour the contents into a metal salad bowl. It's kind of big and round but not very deep. 

I gather all he particles, dump the buttermilk and then begin washing using water straight out of the tap. It's usually cold enough to make my hands ache.

Yes, I use my clean, freshly washed mitts! I just gently massage the cold water through the butter and keep dumping and adding water until the water runs clear. The pattern I use in massaging is kind of flattening and folding.

Yesterday I added ice cubes during the final wash to cool the butter down and make it stiff for the final massaging to get the rest of the water out.

I then add salt.

It's messy and you lose some butter to your hands that just won't come off, but it seems to be working fine. My butter easily lasts over a week covered in the fridge.

I've heard salting is part of getting your butter to last longer...not sure about this.

Also, I wonder if using some mesphhilic starter would help combat spoilage?


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## vickie

Put your cream in a kitchaid turn on to #3 speed walk away. check every once in while. when butter comes i pour off the buttermilk and put in frig. i wash the butter in the mixing bowl in the sink under cold water with a wood spoon. When i am done i put it in a covered bowl in the frig. It lasts about 1 month. Vickie


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