Handmade organic butter from West Hill Farm.

At the times of year when the demand for cream is lower, we are able to make butter in our dairy. Using our own organic cream removes any risk of traces of man made chemicals, which often concentrate in the fat produced by animals fed chemically produced feeds.

The fresh organic cream is chilled and ripened, then churned by a French electric butter churn in 15 litre batches. Once the butter has granulated out, it is washed up to seven times, a little sea salt is added and it is worked into a lump to get out all the water. Bashing the lump with the ‘scotch hands' is a good way of building up arm muscles! The whole process is very labour intensive – a whole day is needed for one person to finish and pack 18 kilos.

Using sea salt, which doesn't have any additives, sometimes leads to tiny beads of moisture in the finished product. Please view this as evidence of its purity and hand made nature. Our butter will spread easily if left at room temperature – but longer term storage should be in the fridge or freezer.

It is weighed into portions then packed into re-sealable pots. Dave and Sharon use the Scotch hands to mark a quilted pattern on the top. (We are sorry if you are a fan of butter papers for your baking.)

More and more evidence is indicating that the natural fats and other constituents in butter are better for your health than hydrogenated oils – which are found in most manufactured food and in margarines. A very informative web site can be found at www.midvalleyvu.com/Butter.html