Every summer my parents would take a
four-weeks break and we would share this time in resting in the high mountains and fun
on the seaside of Bulgaria. Filled up
with fresh air from the highlands and adventures, games and new friendships we
made on the beaches of Black Sea, we will get back home with the predictable
detour – Aunty Mara, the old grandma of our friends who was still guarding her centuries-old stone build house as the last fortress of the deep-rooted
traditions of the people from Valley of the Roses.
She was very strong and agile for her
age and nothing and no one could wipe the always-ready smile of her face. She was a joy to be around. Our visits were exciting her and best way to
show her delight was to spread a big table and snow it down with food, treats
and small goods. And it all was homemade
– buffalo milk yoghurt, sheep milk brined white cheese, sausages, preserves,
pickles, sweets, freshly baked bread and, of course, her staple cultured
butter. Ah, the taste of this butter,
spread on the crunchy full of air pockets rustic sourdough bread with wild
yeast passed down from many generations was unforgettable.
My sister and I were happy to run on
her tiled backyard, chase the goat and count the chickens, while Mamma, Dad and
Aunty Mara would sit under the mixed shadows of the grape vines, that has climbed all
over the veranda roof.
It was a wonderful way to finish our summer
break. I will miss this peaceful
carefree time and the delightful food from Aunty Mara, as they were for me more
than a food. They were a warm gesture of
being loved and welcomed.
I think it is time to show you how much I am
trilled every time you stop by to say "hello" or just to read my stories and look at
my recent images. Today I will greet you with the homemade cultured butter
that I learned from the old knotty hands of Aunty Mara.
HOMEMADE CULTURED BUTTER:
600 gr or more pure double cream,
which has to contain 51% milk fat or more
1 cup of natural yoghurt with Lactobacillus Bulgaricus
sea salt
Method:
Mix the pure double cream with the
natural yoghurt, cover with clean cotton cloth and leave it on room temperature
overnight or 24 hours until it reaches the thickness of yoghurt. To check, just stir with a spoon and lift
it high – it should run down in a thick ribbon instead of thin string.
Move the bowl with cream mixture in cool and dark
place like the refrigerator for another 24 where it will mature and develop
texture.
The next day the aged and ripened
cream will be ready for churning. It
will help if you chill the tools you are going to use to churn the cream.
Thank Good, nowadays we have some
helpful kitchen utensils and we don’t need to work the cream the old-fashioned
way. Pour the ripened cream into the
chilled processor bowl and blitz it as you pay close attention, as the cream
can turn lumpy and separate fast from the buttermilk.
Stop the churning when you see the
buttermilk separates. Pour the butter
and the buttermilk in a strainer over a big clean bowl and collect the
buttermilk.
In a clean bowl place the lump of
butter and pour over it some chilled water.
With a wooden spoon or spatula start turning and kneading the butter
till the water turns milky white.
Discard the water and continue to work
and knead the butter with the wooden spatula until the butter develops creamy
texture. In the process of kneading
incorporate the sea salt.
Place the butter on clean cotton cloth
and pat it dry. Press down and roll the
fresh butter in desired shape with kitchen waxed baking paper and store in
refrigerator.
Well, that is all. You can’t have it any fresher or tastier! And look at it, please – doesn’t it look like a
golden nugget!
Till our next bread with butter!
My warm wishes,
Sophia
© 2015 – sophia terra~ziva. all rights reserved
