Easy Homemade Butter

Years ago we experimented with homemade butter by shaking cream in a jar. We recently tried an easier method and I was so pleased with the results!

My first attempts at homemade butter did not turn out well. I did not research how to make butter so the first time I made it I did not add salt or rinse the butter. The taste was way too strong for me. 

Last fall we had extra cream from the farm fresh milk we buy from our friends and I thought it was worth trying again. Since we do not have a butter churn, I went with a suggestion I found on Instagram and used our mixer.

Below are the directions for making butter this way.

Step 1

Add one quart of heavy cream and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the mixing bowl. Turn on the mixer at low speed, then turn up to high. Cover the mixer and bowl with a towel (to prevent splashing). The cream will stiffen into whipped cream. Keep the mixer going until the fat solids separate into chunks of butter. Keep mixing until the solids begin to stick together and form a ball.

Step 2

Gather the butter solids into a ball and pour the buttermilk (the liquid) into a jar. Reserve the buttermilk to use in other recipes (buttermilk cinnamon rolls are fabulous!). Be sure to store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Step 3

Prepare a bowl with ice water and submerge the butter ball in it. Mix well with your hands or with a wooden spoon by pressing it against the side of the bowl. Once the water becomes cloudy, drain off the water. Repeat this process with clean water until the water you have massaged the butter in stays clear.

Step 4

Shape the butter, pat it dry, cover, and place in the refrigerator. We formed our butter into a round to fit a small glass bowl.

We kept our butter in the refrigerator to increase the storage time and keep the flavor mellow. 

Comments: 

1. Making your own butter can be more expensive than purchasing butter. If your goal is to save money, this may not be the best option for you. If you have your own cows or have a surplus supply of fresh cream, this is a wonderful way to use up extra cream and save money on butter in the process.

2. If using store-bought cream, please read your labels! Some brands have crazy additives! (I never would have guessed that there would be additives in cream, after all, what would you need to add to cream? However, my daughter, who is very health conscious, was wisely reading labels and found that some brands are adding thickeners and preservatives to their cream.)