How To Make Homemade Butter

Ever thought about where butter comes from? Ever thought you could make it yourself?? Honestly, making your own homemade butter is not hard at all!! 

 

HOMEMADE BUTTER!

They like to trick you into thinking it is though. They like to make you think that it’s long and laborious work and that you need a PhD education!  Well, I’m here to show you that the process is so incredibly simple, it’s kind of ridiculous. It can actually happen BY ACCIDENT!  Honestly! So today, I’m going to show you How To Make Your Own BUTTER!!

WHAT IS BUTTER MADE OF?

Butter comes from cream.  Cows produce cream, cream becomes butter. (with a little elbow grease).  When we whip our heavenly whipping cream, sweetened with sugar, and it forms into little pillowy clouds of everything good in this world, we obviously stop whipping it at that stage.

 But did you know if you kept whipping it, (let’s say, by accident) it would eventually start to form into butter? Yes!! Unbelievable, right?!?

It’s the whole magic of chemistry and maybe a bit of physics thrown in there. I won’t go into the whole chemistry/physics explanation (because I COULD you know.. I COULD!… ahem.. yeah.) but just trust me that when the cream is whipped past its point of billowy clouds, it’s like the heavens open up, and butter starts to emerge in its loving splendor.

WHAT ARE THE BUTTER INGREDIENTS?

So this is the best part of all. You need ONE ingredient, maybe two. 

• Heavy whipping cream
• Salt.

HOW IS BUTTER MADE?

The cool thing about is that you can make this so easily in your stand mixer, your hand mixer, or even just a plain old mason jar. The mason jar trick is perfect for when the kids “are boooored” and complain “there’s nothing to dooooooooooo”.

Ok, then give’em something to do! Throw some cream in a jar, put on the lid, and let them work their little biceps to death by shaking the living heck outta those jars to make their own butter!! They will complain to no end that it’s taking so long (15min or so), but when they begin to feel that separation “plop” in the jar and see the butter forming, they’ll be all over it! 

I’ll show you how to do it your mixer. WAYYY easier.

Ok, so how do I make butter?

Take approximately 2 C of heavy whipping cream into your mixer bowl. Using your whipping attachment, start out at a medium speed until it starts to thicken. When it becomes whipped cream, keep going. The cream will become stiffer and thicker, and then get a sort of grainy appearance. Keep going.

Then, all of a sudden, like magic, it will begin to break apart and form the butter. Keep going.  See, when you make butter yourself, you get an added surprise – because as you whip it further, you’ll see a milky substance forming as well.

This, my dear reader, is BUTTERMILK. Crazy, isn’t it??

So at this point, stop the mixer and drain out the buttermilk. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, for the love all things wholesome on this earth, keep this buttermilk. It’s not your traditional thick, tangy buttermilk from the store – this is true buttermilk that you can use as a substitute or addition to any baking recipe that calls for milk. Don’t throw it away! 

Grab your favorite spatula and start pressing the butter in the bowl. Work it around and around and you’ll see more of the buttermilk come out. Drain it off. When you’re pretty sure there’s no more left, place your bowl back under the beaters and add about a half cup of ice-cold water. Give it a spin. The water will “wash” any more residue of the buttermilk away.

Drain this off (don’t keep it). Back under the beaters if you wish, or you can do this by hand, but you’ll want to add a bit of salt. Usually, a 1/4 teaspoon will do it but try it afterward. If you want to add more, then do so but I suggest only at 1/4 teaspoon amounts. As mom would say “you can add it, but you can’t take it out”. True enough.

The benefit of making your own homemade butter is that you can whip some up in a pinch when your doing a Sunday morning pancake marathon and discover the pantry is dry. Also, it’s nice to know EXACTLY what went into that butter because you made it! There’s no artificial colors, and you can control the salt content. Plus.. it’s just plainly SO DAMN GOOD WHEN YOU MAKE BUTTER YOURSELF!

So please, give making your own butter a shot. It’s so delicious, easy to make, and you’re littles will be amazed that they made butter at home! If you’re so inclined, you should try spreading the butter on some NO knead Homemade Bread!

**********SAVE THIS RECIPE ON HOW TO MAKE BUTTER ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARD FOR LATER REFERENCE! **********