Goat Butter

[twohunnyz]

For all you goat owners out there, do any of you collect the cream to make butter? Right now we get goats milk for drinking and Jersey cream to make our butter. Love it! But after we move to our ranch next spring, I'm not sure if I want to get a milk cow right away or a Mini Mancha goat (smaller area of fencing needed). We have to have our butter! That is my only concern and hesitation about goats.

I figured the best thing to do is ask the experts! Thanks.

Krystal

[Madfarmer]

Depends on your goats. It can be done, but unless you have Nubians or Nigerians, or are milking lots of goats, you'll be hard-pressed to get enough cream. And small cream seperators run about 400$. You'd really be better off keeping your cow.

Madfarmer

[lamoncha lover]

I did try goats butter just stuck some cream in a baby bottle shook it up...cooled it with an ice cube and cut a little salt in it..IT was great. Now if I can just figure out how to do it for more then a TABLESPOON LOL

[Wonderland]

I was once told that you can separate the cream of goats milk if you put it in a very shallow bowl. I've never tried it, though, so I'm not sure how well it would work or how much cream you would be able to get without a separator.

[Happyhomemama]

I do at times, when I get inspired enough to work it into our routine. I usually will do it once a day if I have three or more goats milking. I use a separator and get about a pint per gallon, I think. I haven't started yet this year but am trying to psych myself to get started, lol. The separator is a bit of a pain to clean so it takes me awhile to talk myself into starting, once I do though it really isn't that much of an addition to chores, it's just the thought of adding one more thing, KWIM. The butter is awesome, but it is stark white. We don't care we eat it up. All that to say I am wanting to get a Jersey so I can have cream the easy way.

Deanna in WA

[luvzmybabz]

sometimes when we have an overstock of milk and we are going to make cheese or something I will just skim the tops with a spoon they sell vintage cream skimmers on ebay thinking about getting one. Then my 5 year old and 3 year old get to roll the jar back and forth I finish it off and let me just tell you FRESH GOAT BUTTER is a butter lover's dream you don't get alot but it is so yummy. I also put a cup or 2 of milk in with the cream before I start the kids on it after the butter comes out the buttermilk ( what is left from the butter making ) goes for buttermilk pie. Something I had never had until I asked on the diary & chees board on here what to do with the leftover buttermilk it is now one of the favorites around the house and if I am making one for here I am usually making one or two for family members ( should have kept my mouth shut about learning to make them).

[twohunnyz]

Originally Posted by luvzmybabz

goes for buttermilk pie. Something I had never had until I asked on the diary & chees board on here what to do with the leftover buttermilk it is now one of the favorites around the house and if I am making one for here I am usually making one or two for family members ( should have kept my mouth shut about learning to make them).

Do tell! Sounds delicious. I am always looking for creative ways to use the buttermilk.

Krystal

[twohunnyz]

Thank you all for the input! I'm thinking... not decided yet... still thinking...

Krystal

[boren]

We make (made?) goat milk butter all the time. We have a small separator and I would put through 3-5 gallons once a week and make a pound of two of butter. It's melting temps were a bit different from cow milk, but it worked great. Of course it's stark white unless you add annatto.

[Madfarmer]

Forgot to mention: You can freeze cream until you get enough for a batch.

Tom

[Pony]

Hoegger's has manual and automatic cream separators in the neighborhood of $300.

A local guy has old manual separators for $100. They're lots bigger than the new ones, but the price is smaller.

I read in John Seymour's Forgotten Household Crafts that there were special bowls "back in the day" that held the cream on top and allowed you to pour the milk off the bottom. Very clever! Wish I had a scanner so I could post the picture of the bowl.

[boren]

The bowls won't work for goat milk. The almost none of the fat globules separate from the milk naturally, hence why you have to use a mechanical separator for goat milk!

I'm so tempted to go into a rant, sigh.

[ozark mike]

I would stick with the cow. there is nothing wrong with the taste of goat butter used as a spread or added into hot food, just don't fry anything with it...takes a week to get the nasty smell out of the house

[MaggieJ]

Originally Posted by Pony

I read in John Seymour's Forgotten Household Crafts that there were special bowls "back in the day" that held the cream on top and allowed you to pour the milk off the bottom. Very clever! Wish I had a scanner so I could post the picture of the bowl.

Would this work sort of like a gravy separator?

http://www.kitchenniche.ca/images/gr...01%20liter.jpg

Or how about this antique one:

http://images.replacements.com/image...582S0238T2.jpg

[Pony]

Originally Posted by ozark mike

I would stick with the cow. there is nothing wrong with the taste of goat butter used as a spread or added into hot food, just don't fry anything with it...takes a week to get the nasty smell out of the house

Hm. That's not been my experience. In fact, we love goat butter on just about anything (mmm... popcorn!) The only reason we don't fry in it is because we only get it when Nick's folks swing by the Mt Sterling Goat Co-op.

But rabbit livers fried in goat butter is sheer bliss!

[Pony]

Originally Posted by MaggieJ

Would this work sort of like a gravy separator?

http://www.kitchenniche.ca/images/gr...01%20liter.jpg

Or how about this antique one:

http://images.replacements.com/image...582S0238T2.jpg

Hm. I have a small 2 cup gravy separator. I think I may give this a try.

Thanks, Maggie!