Back to the Basics | How to Make Butter at Home

I remember how I learned to make butter at home.  It was purely by accident, and I was being “gently” reminded not to do it.

I was small, maybe 6 or 7.  I was at my grandmother’s house, hanging out in the kitchen while she made dinner.  I use to love hanging out in there, attempting to help in some way.  She was letting me make the whipped cream for dessert that night, and I was really excited about it.  You see she had this old hand mixer that I loved to play with.  I was whipping cream and eagerly waiting to start sprinkling in the sugar, all the while I was also tasting a little, here and there.  She kept saying, “don’t let it turn to butter”.  Butter?  My other guilty pleasure.  That is when I learned, if, I didn’t pay attention we would have a pot of butter instead of sweet cream.

I don’t make homemade butter that often.  If we are enjoying a special meal or some really fantastic baked bread, then I take the time to make butter.  What a WOW it is to serve guests, as well.  The other morning we had some fresh baked bread, so I decided it was time for some great butter to serve with our breakfast of soft boiled eggs.

It is really easy to make butter at home, and can be made right before serving.  If you have children, this is a fun project to get them involved in the kitchen.  You, must start with a high quality heavy cream, it makes a big different in taste.  Splurge on this.  And use a really good salt for seasoning.  That is that.  Simple.  Here, are step by step photo instructions for you to follow along.  Now go make butter.

Enjoy.

Recipe:  Homemade Butter

• 1 pint high quality heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon grey salt

 Step 1:  Pour the heavy cream into a mixing bowl.  Beating at medium speed (about a 4 on my mixer) for 3 minutes.

Step 2:  After about 3 minutes, you begin to get whipped cream.  Turn the speed up to a 6.

Step 3:  After 5 minutes the cream is beginning to turn yellow and is looking like butter.  Keep beating at about a 6.

Step 4:  The mixture is starting to breakdown and you can begin to see the “buttermilk” start to separate from the butter.  Continue beating.

Step 5:  About 12 minutes from starting you will have butter.  It will form a ball on the whisk attachment.

Step 6:  Drain the butter and then rinse.  Repeat the whisking process to extract more of the watery mixture, until there is only a small amount left.  It will only take a couple minutes.  Then rinse once more.  Let set in the sink about 5 minutes to drain.

Step 7:  Return the butter to the mixing bowl.  Add the salt.  At a medium speed, about a 4 on my mixer, mix until creamy.

Step 8:  Serve.  Eat.