# Question About Storing Homemade Butter and Buttermilk



## k_young221 (Mar 14, 2006)

I just made my own butter by whipping the heck out of some heavy cream in my stand mixer.  I used cheesecloth to squeeze the buttermilk out.  Now I'm wondering how long the butter and the buttermilk will keep in my refrigerator.  If not very long, can you freeze them?

By the way, another question for those who make their own butter: If you want to make salted butter, when do you add the salt, and how much do you add?

Thanks very much!

~K


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## Andy M. (Mar 14, 2006)

You can freeze the butter and the buttermilk.

I cannot answer the salt question, I've never made butter (intentionally, that is).


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## GB (Mar 14, 2006)

I would think (but this is just a guess) that you could add the salt once you remove the buttermilk. The butter will be soft enough that it would be easy to incorporate the salt.


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## k_young221 (Mar 14, 2006)

*Thanks!*

Thanks very much for the responses!  I'll freeze the buttermilk until I decide what to do with it, and I'll probably freeze the butter as well, as I made rather a lot.  Maybe next time I'll try adding a bit of salt.

Thanks again,
~K


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## licia (Mar 14, 2006)

You can always use it unsalted.  I always buy unsalted.


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## GB (Mar 14, 2006)

Or just sprinkle salt on as you use it.


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## Swann (Mar 14, 2006)

k_young221 said:
			
		

> I just made my own butter by whipping the heck out of some heavy cream in my stand mixer.  I used cheesecloth to squeeze the buttermilk out.  Now I'm wondering how long the butter and the buttermilk will keep in my refrigerator.  If not very long, can you freeze them?
> 
> By the way, another question for those who make their own butter: If you want to make salted butter, when do you add the salt, and how much do you add?
> 
> ...


Use cold water to wash the butter well to remove all milk. If you do not know about washing, add very cold water to the butter, break it up and mix around with a spoon, when determined it is free of milk, take the curds and put on a marble tile or cold dish to paddle knead and add salt. It will freeze and keep as any butter refrig. Buttermilk will keep for a long time too at least a couple weeks. I have never tried to feeze it but probably not well.


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## goodgiver (Mar 16, 2006)

*Butter and Buttermilk*

I have found that buttermilk freezes very well.   Also all I ever use in butter is unsalted.  That way you can control the amount of salt you use in a recipe.


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## Ham Hock (Mar 26, 2006)

There is a new gadet on the market that is actually a reproduction of the device used to keep butter without refrigeration for many many years.

It's ceramic and shaped like bell with a handle on it, and comes with a small bowl to set it in. 

You turn the bell upside down and spoon all the butter into the inside of the bell. Then you put a little water in the bowl to make an air seal, and set the bell down in the bowl. Butter keeps a long time doing this, right on your table, and it's always soft and spreadable.

Here is one company that makes them.

http://www.frenchbutterdish.com/


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