Thursday, September 03, 2009

You’d think I invented it…

So a couple nights ago, I made ice cream. Because you can’t have fresh pumpkin pie without some fresh vanilla ice cream. I think there is actually a law on the books somewhere about that…anyway! I used all but about a scant cup of the half gallon of cream I had on hand, and it sort of needed to be used or tossed really soon.

So I put it into a Mason jar, capped it and sat on the sofa shaking the jar while the news droned on and on and on about how many gazillions of acres are on fire in California right now.

We have great weather, can grow just about anything and enjoy a long, languid growing season – but we do pay for our pleasures. High taxes, constant drought, money problems both personal and state-wide, AND OF COURSE, a fire season that is like the dress rehearsal for the riders of the Apocalypse, each and every year.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose…

ANYWAY.

One minute, I was shaking this stupid jar full of sloshing heavy cream and thinking to myself that this was a pretty stupid way to be spending my time. I could be finishing the fingers on that second glove (black alpaca, very soft and very warm), I said to myself. Sure, it’s 101 today, but winter she is a-comin’, and you’ll want those gloves…

And the next, the slosh suddenly turned to a thunk-thunk-thunk.

A quarter cup of butter was floating around in the buttermilk.

Sweet!!

I felt so clever, you’d think I invented butter-making. I insisted on showing the kids (who gave me a look that clearly said, “And we care because…?”), and then I proudly announced to my husband that I had invented penicillin made butter.

You know, out of cream.

Myself.

Just me, and heavy whipping cream, and a Mason jar.

And then I made buttermilk pancakes this morning.

Which also felt extremely cunning because hey! Look! I made butter, and also I made buttermilk!

I’m so clever, I scare myself…

…no really, I’m kind of freaking myself out here…it’s just butter, made just like we all made back in elementary school at some point during Pioneer Days (or whatever)…and I’m all like, “Lookit me! Pasteurization? Penicillin? Moon landings? Pffffft! Nothing on me, man, I made butter!!!

6 comments:

froggiemeanie said...

Cooooooool. I've only ever made butter accidentally when I forget the whipping cream in the mixer. If you do it on purpose and use it - that's cooooooooool.

Steph B said...

Ummm...yeah, it is cool...I've made butter before (many moons ago) and it is a tedious process! Can't believe you did it sitting on the couch, shaking a Mason jar!

ellipsisknits said...

Yeah, the last time I made butter was actually in the ice cream maker, when I had a bit too much cream and a bit too little cold going on apparently.

It still mostly resembled ice cream, but with this waxy residue. Not nearly as good as you'd imagine.

Actually, rather nasty. A waste of good ice cream and potential butter.

Lisa in western MA said...

At a local grange fair, one of the annual events has been a "butter dance" for the small children. Each is given a baby food jar with cream in it, then the music starts ... and the first "dancer" to make butter wins! I still think it's cool -- right up there with the skillet toss at one of the other area festivals!

Louiz said...

Smart. I keep meaning to try that. Good to know you can do it with a jar and just shake.

Louiz said...

And I did this today, you're right, it's amazing! I've told everyone I've seen since that I made butter today...

Thank you for the inspiration.