How to Make Butter
There's nothing like taking fresh milk and cream from a dairy cow and turning it into freshly churned butter!
Ingredients
- 1-2 quarts fresh cream
- 1 teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
Using a Bosch Mixer
- You can do 2 quarts of cream in this mixer. It also has a lid so that you won't splash the kitchen when you are mixing, and the cookie paddles won't overwork your butter.
- Add your cream, put on the lid, and set it to speed 2-3.
- Peek in at it every couple minutes, as depending on your cream, you could see the butter "split" in a couple minutes or up to 15.
Using a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
- Only use 1 quart of cream in this mixer, no matter what size you have, and use the paddle attachment.
- Add your cream and put on the splash guard if you have one or drape the entire mixer in a kitchen towel. This will get messy!
- This takes a good 15 minutes before the cream thickens and the butter "splits." Make sure you are watching and listening because you'll want to shut the mixer off right away then so the buttermilk doesn't splash out.
Both Methods
- Place a large colander inside/over a large pot or bowl so you can strain the butter and save the buttermilk. Knead the butter some to remove excess buttermilk. If it is too squishy, set the colander over cold water for about 20 minutes and try again.
- Knead the butter in a bowl of cold water, using your hands or a flat wooden spoon. I use about 2-3 quarts of water for a pound of butter. If you have pigs, they will enjoy this rinse water!
- You can also knead and wash the butter under low pressure running water if you aren't saving the water. This is faster but not always as thorough.
- Repeat washing 2-3 times until the water is clear. At this point you can salt your butter if you want, about 1 teaspoon per pound.
- Shape your butter as desired. I like to weight mine in 4 ounce portions and pat out in rectangles that fit my butter dish. This way I can grab one from the freezer when the dish is empty and it fits right in. It also makes it easy to use for baking.
- Freeze for a year, or use a butter dish or butter crock to keep it fresh on the counter. You will learn how long it lasts depending on weather, season, and your kitchen.
Notes
- It always depends on how much cream you get from your cow, but approximately one quart of cream will yield one pound of butter with 2 cups of buttermilk.
- The "buttermilk" you get from the mixer can be used in place of milk in any recipe. While called buttermilk, it isn't cultured so it isn't nice and thick like what you buy at the store.
- Butter freezes so well, so don't worry about making too much. There's no such thing as too much butter. Just remember that without salt you will definitely want to freeze it as salt acts as a preservative.
Nutrition
Calories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 168mgPotassium: 44mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 869IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!