I tested the powder as planned, adding in s bit of turmeric for color, and started with s couple of tablespoons of powder and a dash of turmeric, to a tablespoon of water, and mixed. About the powder: it's basically the same as butter powder I think, but without coloring. So I added my own, stuff I can trust.
I tried the stick blender but it wasn't as helpful as just beating with a spoon in the end.
Added water and powder till it looked balanced, beat it a bit and got a stiff creamy mixture. I don't think this powder would result in a solid butter. Probably because it's been processed into powder and now it's being rehydrated, unlike the heavy cream you buy.
Anyway I put the container in the fridge and after about an hour, I have spreadable buttery stuff. Very good for toast, or top of steamed vegetables. Probably fine for baking. And for making a roux.
In fact, it worked. Very good for creaming with sugar, better than stick butter you need to soften. It tastes sweeter than the Irish or Vermont butters, and could afford a touch of salt.
This is great. Now I can add butter to the list of things I can make from raw materials and needn't run out.
While I was in the kitchen anyway, I baked a chocolate walnut cake in the hope of a visit tomorrow from handsome Son. Some will probably go next door with a reminder to Gary to collect his tools.
All in all, the butter making was a high point in a day that went from emergency laundry when I realized I was out of everything, to emergency fridge cleaning when I found something had mysteriously spilled down the back wall, behind the shelves, under the containers and settled onto the floor. This involved taking out containers, shelves, scrubbing at an angle my shoulder really hates. Anyway it's all done now.
And another sock is started. I can do this without a pattern at this point. And I'm listening to a Margery Allingham audiobook.
All in all, happy day!
This is good news. Thank you for the info. Using powdered butter is something I am anxious to try.
ReplyDelete"I can't believe it's not butter!" Well, I guess it IS butter, but it looks good and glad to hear it tastes good too!
ReplyDeleteI consider any day in which all of the bins and shelves were taken out of the refrigerator and everything scrubbed to be a day of huge achievement!
ReplyDeleteYou deserve a good rest.
It's not often I do it, Mary! It does look better now.
ReplyDeleteThat butter is amazing! I've never seen it before. It will be great to have on hand.
ReplyDeleteI looked for my Red Cross sock pattern and cannot find it. I assume it all went in my last downsizing. Since it was by the halves method (half of the stitches are the sole, half the top) and the heel flap is the same number of rows as the sole, I knit the entire sock by memory except for turning the heel. There are a dozen ways to turn a heel, so I merely wrote those directions for my favorite heel on the back of the old wooden ruler that lives in my knitting bag. The last time I worked on the sock I slid the ruler down the side of my chair. It has since disappeared into the mechanical maw of the recliner. I cannot find it without turning the chair upside down, which I cannot do alone. Well laid plans gang aft agley.
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff. We usually buy canned butter from New Zealand here with a great shelf life. But I can see that this powder could be great for many uses.
ReplyDeleteYou could have been a pioneer woman.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for looking. The sock I'm now on is a short row toe-up, with heel and toe done identically. it's really great to know I can go without the pattern now.
ReplyDeleteSome day that ruler will show up and puzzle the finder with the mysterious code written on it.
A week ago I'd only first heard of butter cream (from you), and now I'm convinced I need to get either some whole cream powder and possibly some butter powder. This is genius. It may also be genius using turmeric powder as your butter coloring as (my understanding is) turmeric needs fat for it to be fully absorbed as a natural anti-inflammatory. I have turmeric in capsule form and at one time I used it as a nutritional supplement. Because it can be bitter (and I find what I have to be so) the supplement concoction I followed was to combine turmeric, a spoonful of (solid) coconut oil, and a squeeze of honey (stirred together). It was fairly tasty, but more work than I was willing to go to every day in the end, so my capsuled turmeric gets used as coloring too - mainly when making fried rice.
ReplyDeleteNow off to look online for these new-to-me things you've introduced us to.
I like to make golden milk in the evening -- hot whole milk, grind of black pepper, spoonful of turmeric. Mixed up. The pepper is important to make the turmeric more absorbable. Two Indian friends made sure I know this.
ReplyDeleteAC, you should see me in my bonnet!
ReplyDeleteI hope you put your feet up with a large mug of tea after all of that!
ReplyDeleteThat is SO COOL!
ReplyDeleteChris from Boise
Bravo on the butter! I hate emergency fridge cleaning. We've all been there! LOL
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right about the pepper. Mine has it in it. I'm guessing turmeric packaged for nutritional purposes, probably includes it, but I'll need to remember to check next time I buy some.
ReplyDeleteHow very ingenious of you! Does it taste like butter?
ReplyDeleteOh goodness - cleaning the refrigerator IS a pain (in all senses of the word). You can at least feel somewhat virtuous every time you open the door now.
ReplyDeleteTalking about experiments, Resident Chef used his homemade kefir 'cheese' as a replacement for cream cheese for carrot cake - very good, although the texture is a bit runnier than real cream cheese would be.