How a butter churn works

How a Butter Churn Works

A butter churn works on a simple principle. When whipping, the membranes surrounding the milk fats are destroyed. When the fats stick together, they form lumps that are simply separated from the buttermilk. When using special equipment, the mass is homogeneous, with virtually no air bubbles. 

To get high-quality, natural butter, it is better to take cream not from the store, but made in a separator from farm milk. Their composition is more natural, and the smell is more intense than that of products obtained from purchased pasteurized milk, which has undergone several purifications.

If the cream is to lie for several days before whipping, it must be pasteurized, which destroys E. coli, listeriosis, and tuberculosis bacilli. Cream pasteurization is performed as follows:

the container with cream is placed on the flame diffuser for a gas stove;

the product is heated to 75-85 ° C with constant stirring;

30 seconds after removing from the heat, cover the container and send it to a place with a temperature of 4-7 ° C for 5-7 hours, this can be a refrigerator or a cellar.

The quality of pasteurization depends on the temperature and regular stirring, which must be carefully monitored. To keep the cream from losing its aroma, it is better to do this in a closed container. It is better to whip cream at a temperature of 13-15 ° C. In order to heat it to these indicators, you can use a basin of warm water. The container with the product is sent into it for 5 minutes, stirring the cream.

Electric butter churns

Electric butter churns are more effective; you can buy them to make butter for personal use or for sale. The productivity of household models is from 2 to 15 l / hour. Industrial ones can process from 50 l / hour and more. The devices are compact and lightweight, which simplifies their operation and storage.

The body can be made of stainless food steel, aluminum or polypropylene. Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion, critical temperatures, and is durable. The aluminum surface is wear-resistant, anti-corrosion, and compatible with food products. Polypropylene is also a durable material and easy to maintain. When choosing equipment, it is recommended to consider the volume of upcoming work. Polypropylene butter churns are suitable for making butter for a family. If you want to whip large volumes of product for sale, it is better to choose equipment made of stainless metal, which can serve for a long time without deforming or losing its technical characteristics.

Electric ones operate from a standard 220 V outlet. Just connect the equipment to the network, and it is ready to work.

Manual butter churns

Simple, easy-to-use devices are a sealed container that consists of several sections. The productivity of such models is several times less than electric ones, so they are more often used at home to prepare small volumes of butter for personal use.

Butter churns are equipped with a mechanism with a rotating handle that sets the mixer in motion. A manual butter churn can be plastic, aluminum or made of stainless food steel. Its operation does not consume electricity, which makes such models more economical, but manual labor is required, so it is not suitable for obtaining large volumes of butter.

Operation of an electric butter churn

A butter churn is an electric appliance that does not require much effort to operate:

It is recommended to wipe the loading tank from the inside before use.

Pour cream or sour cream into the container; if the product is too fatty and thick, you can add milk to achieve the desired consistency.

It is better to fill the tank no more than ⅔ of the declared volume of the model.

After closing, the device turns on. Processing the product takes from 8 to 30 minutes, depending on the fat content of the cream.

You need to monitor the process and turn off the equipment when the “butter grain” is whipped into dense lumps.

The liquid that remains after whipping the butter - buttermilk, is drained through a sieve. You can fry pancakes, fritters, etc. in it.

It is recommended to put the resulting piece of butter in a sieve and let the buttermilk drain completely.

The finished product is washed with cold water. You can squeeze out the remaining buttermilk and air bubbles by hand.

Maintenance of the butter churn

Proper maintenance prolongs the life of the equipment. When using it, it is recommended to follow simple rules:

when work is completed, the device is disconnected from the outlet;

the churn must be wiped from the outside first with a damp cloth, then with a dry cloth;

do not use cleaning agents or pressurized steam when cleaning the equipment;

if the device starts to work incorrectly during the process of churning butter, you need to turn it off using the button and pull the cable out of the outlet;

do not leave buttermilk in the container for a long time;

after use, the device is washed with clean water, the temperature of which is 80-100 ° C;

it is recommended to remove and wash the propeller after each use.

During operation, it is better to place the equipment on a flat surface. It is important to avoid placing it near flammable devices.