Homemade Butter

How to make it

1. 1
   Use cream at room temperature

   Cold cream takes much longer to churn and produces a less smooth butter. Leave cream out for 30 minutes before starting, or use cream that has been sitting at room temperature.

2. 2
   Whip past the whipped cream stage

   Using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or a sealed jar, whip or shake the cream. It will first become thick whipped cream (stop here if that is what you want). Keep going — it will suddenly look curdled and grainy. This is the butter separating from the buttermilk. You are nearly there.

3. 3
   The break happens fast — watch for it

   After the whipped cream stage, the break (when butter separates from buttermilk) happens suddenly — usually within 30–60 more seconds of whipping. The moment you see yellow clumps and white liquid sloshing around, stop.

4. 4
   Drain and save the buttermilk

   Pour the contents through a fine sieve. The yellow clumps are your butter; the white liquid is real buttermilk. Save the buttermilk in a jar — it keeps for a week in the fridge and is excellent for baking.

5. 5
   Wash the butter in ice water

   Place butter clumps in a bowl of ice cold water. Knead and squeeze until the water runs clear — this removes remaining buttermilk, which is what causes butter to go rancid quickly. Change the water 3–4 times.

6. 6
   Salt and shape

   Pat butter dry with a clean cloth. Add salt if desired and knead it in. Shape into a log using parchment paper, press into a dish, or form into a block. Refrigerate immediately.

Ways to use it