This wonderful book, On Food and Cooking, arrived in the mail a few days ago and I have been obsessed with it ever since.
It's so fascinating and the author Harold McGee, is one of those rare writers that can explain technical concepts in a way that I actually get it! I am part way through the first chapter, Milk and Dairy Products. I have to make my own butter now. Here are some interesting snippets:
This is the cycle that cows go through in order to provide us with milk. They are bred and then calved, once their milk comes in the calf is taken away and mum is milked 3 times a day for ten months, she is then allowed to go dry for two months before the next calving. Well that sucks. I wonder it that's were the saying "Poor cow." comes from?
Of course milk is pasterised (heated) to kill pathogenic and spoilage microbes and inactivate milk enzymes. And homogenized, that is, pumped at high temperature and speed through tiny nozzles. Homogenisation keeps the milk fat evenly or homogoneously distributed throughout the milk. Both processes affect the nutrient and taste value of milk.
Whether a cream will curdle or not when boiled depends on it's fat content. To avoid curdling, use cream with 25% or more fat.
I hope I'm not boring you with all this! If not you can check out Harold's website. I'm going to make some butter and I'll let you know how it goes.
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