THE KNOW-HOW OF OUR
MASTER BUTTER-MAKER
An artisanal how-know
The making of Échiré butter is based on artisanal know-how passed down through generations. Each step, from the maturation of the cream to the churning, is carried out with meticulous attention. Our master butter-makers closely monitor the process, guaranteeing butter of exceptional quality.
Key step in the butter making, the maturation time of the cream is eighteen hours (four hours more than the specifications of the PDO Charentes-Poitou butter require), which further develops its natural aromas.
Our slow churning, which takes about 2 and half hours, has always been carried out in wooden barrel churns, which, even when modernized, require increased monitoring. The master butter-makers are constantly present to check each stage of the evolution of the consistency. Our master butter-makers carefully monitor the different stages of the production of our butter. This ancestral method gives Échiré butter a malleable texture as well as a unique smoothness in the mouth.
The steps
Skimming
Essential step in the butter making : the milk is heated to 40°C in the centrifugal cream separators until it becomes cream.
Pasteurization
The cream is pasteurized (debacterization process by temperature change) between 92°C and 95°C, then cooled between 7 and 18°C.
Biological maturation
The cream is inoculated with lactic ferments for at least 18 hours at a temperature between 7°C and 18°C. This is the key stage that gives our butter its particular hazelnut taste.
The churning
The mixture is vigorously beaten in a barrel churn, which is when the cream turns into butter.
Washing
The butter particles are passed under water to remove the acidity from the cream.
The mixing
The butter is worked to obtain a smooth and homogeneous paste.
Packaging
Produced in different formats, then stored in the refrigerator, our butters are intended for professional customers and consumers.
