Weighing eggs
On Tuesday night the hens sent up a tiny pullet egg. They’ve been laying for almost a year now, or some of them have, so it’s unusual to get one now, but not unheard of.
It’s next to an extra large for comparison.
Tuesday is the day my helper friend makes butter. So Wednesday morning real early is when I package it, as it is coolest then. We got 6.10 lbs in that batch, bringing us nearly to 40 lbs.
Tuesday we moved the pasture pen again, still takes just over 2 hours. We’ve got some wicked heat and humidity coming starting Wednesday….
I've seen a LOT of folks getting pullet eggs in the Facebook groups. Maybe they don't like the heat?
That's a lot of butter! I bought extra milk this week so I can start playing around with simple cheeses. I heard a saying: "raw milk doesn't go bad, it just morphs into some other type of beneficial food." That was inspiring.
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That might have been me saying that! I say it a lot. :))
The best milk for cheese is from the end of June (here) until early September. Basically when the cows are grazing grass that's trying to go to seed. It changes the composition of the milk, making it better for cheese.
The best milk for butter is in the early flush of growth from early May to the end of June (here).
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So, what can I do with this stuff? I bought an extra half gallon to play around with. Do I need to skim the cream off and use the parts separately? I have a feeling Google is gonna be my friend :)
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I've only ever made kefir cheese, so I am not much help there. I think by leaving it on the counter until it turns to curds and whey, then using buttercloth, you can strain off the whey (feed to chickens or use in cooking) and make a simple farmers cheese. This can be salted and used as is, or flavored, much like making a dip or sour cream spread.
For the how to, you can use much of this post I made on making kefir cheese, but w/o the kefir grain:
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@goldenoakfarm/making-kefir-for-health
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Farmers cheese is what I'm thinking of. I do need to get some kefir culture too. I found a Facebook group with local folks that are willing to share cultures! Sourdough, kombucha, kefir, yum!
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I just realized I never answered your 1st question. I skim off the cream for kefir, just because it keeps the grain healthier. But if making farmers cheese, it will be a more robust cheese with the cream left in.
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