separate the cream . . .

The final result of our butchering weekend.  A WHOLE freezer (and half of another) filled with beef.

 And still a WHOLE freezer (and half of another) filled with chicken.

 As a father, providing for my family is UTMOST important.  And especially my family's food needs.  I certainly do not trust in the freezer, but it sure does make me feel good to have 6 months to a year's worth of food available for the family to eat.  And now that butchering season is over for this year, it is time to get caught up on some of the other work that I do here on the farm.  One job in particular is making butter.  First I use the food processor to separate the cream into butter and buttermilk.

 Next the butter gets rinsed to get all the buttermilk out of it.  Here is starts to clump up and feel like butter.

 Then I form it into small paties to store in the freezer.

And this is what the finished product looks like.

And from the freezer, we thaw and put our butter in our new Butter Crock for use on the counter.  It is a crock that stores exactly 1/4 pound of butter and can be left on the counter up to 30 days without the butter spoiling.  The secret is the cold water!  You fill the bottom of the crock with a little cold water, then turn the lid over into the crock.  Since the butter is submerged in water, oxygen does not reach it keeping it fresh for a long period of time.  Not that it stays in there very long in our home!