SSDreamin Blessings and curses

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't have a butter press - but when/if I make butter it's usually a small amount so I put it in a bowl and work it with the back of a large spoon....press, press, roll it around and press some more. But... you are dealing with a much large amount of milk, so not sure that would work for you.

I found a cool website on the old fashioned ways of butter-making. http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/kitchen.html

 

[SSDreamin]

Maybe that's why they thought they could just wander around my property - my brother called on Friday and said they'd be here 'sometime around 1 on Sunday'. So I DID know they were coming, but it still bugs me that they didn't let me know that they were here first! And doofus dog not making a sound is weird and annoying too! This morning, at 5:30am, he was barking up a storm - at the closed blinds! I opened the door, and some guy that DH works with was parking his car in the far drive, to catch a ride to work with DH. So, he barks like mad, with closed blinds, for that; but ignores a car pulling right up to the house with the shades up & windows open?! Weird dog!
FEM : I don't have a press. I experimented with one option today during my butter trials. First off, I found out that - in the blender - one pint of milk produces two tablespoons of butter and about 3/4 pint of buttermilk. I was pretty disappointed! Having no special equipment or tools, I scooped the butter out with a fork into a bowl. I used the fork to gently press the butter against the side of the bowl to start removing liquid. I then scooped my massive 2 tbsp of butter into a coffee filter. I kneaded/squeezed the butter, through the filter, until the filter was soaked. Transferred to a clean filter, did it again. Transferred to yet another filter and wrapped it up and stuck it in the frig (since, by this time, the heat from my hands had softened it a bit much). Hey, I buy 100pack filters at the dollar store, so it didn't break me, but I need to come up with something different - reusable cheesecloth or butter muslin maybe?
The mozzarella trials went over great. Two gallons of milk made what appeared to be 2# of cheese (I forgot to get out the scale and weigh it - oops!). I cooled it off in the frig and the guys insisted on pizza for dinner to try it out. It grated beautifully - although, once grated, I mixed about 1-2 tbsp of cornstarch with it to prevent it from sticking together/clumping. I also found that it seemed to take MUCH less cheese than store bought to do the same job. I worried that I'd skimped a bit on the cheese while topping the pizza's - it spread out and completely covered the pies - making for cheese overload in my opinion (both my guys thought it was perfect). Very stringy, very creamy. Very nice! There is also some left in the freezer for next time - I didn't pile all 2 pounds on 3 pizza's Out of the leftover whey, I got 1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese. We haven't tried it yet, but it looks yummy!
The farrier came out, did both horses' hooves (April was a little better, but still needs a lot of work to get her comfortable with it) then checked out Flank. I KNEW I was right - and he confirmed it! He took one look at Flank and said 'HE came out of HER?? No wonder she had issues! He's 3X bigger than a normal miniature calf!' Yup, he is! While looking at the calf, Ferdi ripped out his electric wire and began wrapping it around his head!! The farrier, Eric, jumped in there, untangled him, and fixed the whole thing so it worked again!! Ferdi was being a real booger, but Eric managed to keep him back while he worked on the fence! I told him I hoped he didn't charge extra for that - or I'd have to pay him in fresh baked bread, cuz I didn't have any more of the other 'bread' He has a whole herd of beef cattle, so we talked for a while about our options, as far as Ferdi - and Ice Cream - are concerned. I discussed it with DH when he got home, and he agreed. First, Ferdi needs to go. He produces huge calves. Second, if we AI Ice Cream, he will just be a cantankerous food pit that we aren't too keen on breeding her with. Third, He is getting meaner, and will continue to. While we were out by his pen, two of the neighbor girls walked up - with sticks in their hands - and said they keep them because 'that bull doesn't like us and pushes on the fence whenever we're here' Um, yeah. You throw rocks at my bull, and wonder why he's aggressive towards you. But, if he got out and hurt them, we would be big-time liable. So, he needs to go to freezer camp. I want to grain him for a few weeks, to give him a bit of marbling, then off he'll go. I won't be very heartbroken - I do NOT like having a bull on the premises anyway.
He suggested we AI Ice Cream with the smallest jersey bull we can find, that has a track record of heifers and, once she give's birth/if it's a heifer/it is old enough to breed - we should get rid of Ice Cream. I love her, but he's right. Two of her quarters are shutting down, every pregnancy is a huge risk, and she's pretty sickly. I will cry when she goes!! She's my sweet baby girl
I can't clean any more poo out of the horse pastures, and it's driving me bonkers! Jim has a 2 foot high 'pile/ridge line' of poo. I started working on it today - about 2-3 inches down is solid ice! I covered it back up, so he doesn't slip and fall. It looks horrible, but there's nothing I can do until it melts
My friend with the draft horses has offered to come over and teach me how to lead April, and get her to behave for me like she does for DH! DH thinks it's SO funny that she won't budge with me, but leads good with him - as I pointed out though - if she gets out while he's at work, he won't think it's so funny any more!

 

[Denim Deb]

When it finally thawed out here, I had a bunch of manure to clean up as well.

I had to teach Misty to lead. She knew nothing when I got her, so I know what you're dealing with.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Yea, the cream to butter ration is not all that impressive, lol! I've yet to try making mozzarella.... glad to hear your success story - it might give me the confidence to try it.

 

[hqueen13]

I make my need with cream, not milk, and for a quart of cream I get over 1 lb of butter. I'll have to try pressing it with a spoon. I use cheesecloth in a wire sieve to catch it and rinse it. I pour off the buttermilk, then rinse the bowl with cold water until it ended mostly clear, then add water again to the bowl and put it back on the mixer until it turns milky, then rinse again. I keep doing that until it's clear, then try to press as much out as I can.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I think I might have more cream to work with real soon cuz I'm picking up a new doe, in milk, tomorrow!

 

[SSDreamin]

Hqueen - I'll try it your way this next time! I knew I was supposed to use mostly cream, but I had a quart of milk with a couple inches of cream on top and decided ' hey, let's try making butter!' Plus, I used the remains for buttermilk pancakes, which were yummy!
Well, Ferdi got his final strike against him yesterday, and sealed his fate. He ripped TWO metal gates off their hinges! Luckily, his 'escape route' led him into a heavily electrified pasture (although he definitely could've ripped that right out too with much less effort than the gates), and DH got home right after, so I had help getting him back in and repairing the damage, but HE HAS GOT TO GO!! My first thought was for Flank - Ferdi could've tore him to shreds! I found Flank in Ferdi's pen, hiding behind the mangled gate! Ugh. I do NOT need a stupid, testosterone driven, intact male *bull*on this property. Period!
ETA: The word bull, as I have no choice but to keep my guys

 

[FarmerJamie]

 

[Denim Deb]

But I'm sure there are some days....

 

[SSDreamin]

Yesterday was SUPPOSED to be 70 degrees and mostly sunny, so DH and I planned a bunch of outdoor work, plus dinner in the smoker (big ol' meatie breasts wrapped in bacon, smoked with apple wood ) and a pasta salad to celebrate the first warm day. By 2pm, it had struggled up to 62, the wind picked up and the rain came. Then came the WIND. Next came hail - lots and lots of hail. Then rain. Then 70-80 mph winds. Then more hail. Then thunderstorms all night long. Stubborn as he is, DH went out and put the chicken in the smoker after the first round of hail let up. We ate our dinner inside with the woodstove going. So much for our first warm day! The roof of our shed came loose in the strong winds, started flapping, and scared the tar out of the horses. DH kept stepping out the back door and hollering over the wind to April, to calm her down - once she was clam(er) Jim was calmer. Flank was already locked in the barn, so he was forced to endure the hail noise on the metal roof, but the cows and horses all spent the storm outside. I knew a second, more severe round was coming long before it arrived- both horses kept staring towards the west and backing up. About a 1/2 hour later, the strong wind and more hail showed up from the exact location they were staring at!
Today's high was reached just after midnight last night. Calling for snow tonight/tomorrow and next Saturday. Remind me again why I chose to live here?!!