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Homemade Butter

homemadebutter

What could be more enjoyable than creamy butter spread onto a nice piece of good bread? Homemade butter made from the best cream you can possibly find spread onto a nice piece of good bread.

This morning was devoted to butter making. And by “devoted to” I mean to say that I poured some heavy cream into my stand mixer, put on the whisk attachment and beat it on medium-high for about 20 minutes. I watched TV during this time. Then I squeezed the butter until dry in some cheesecloth. Then I ate some (on a cracker, if you’re curious) and put the rest into the fridge. Delightfully buttery and creamy – which isn’t wholly surprising, since it was actually butter.

You need heavy cream to make butter, and this isn’t a place you can take shortcuts by using lower fat substitutes! I always try to use the highest quality cream that I can find for the best flavor in the finished butter. I prefer to use organic cream for butter making and try to find cream that hasn’t been ultrapasteurized, although any type of heavy cream will work in the end for butter making. It can be fun to experiment with different brands of cream to see how different the flavors can be. And, of course, you’ll have an excuse to eat plenty of creamy, homemade butter!

Butter
2 cups heavy cream

Pour cream into a stand mixer, put on the whisk attachment and beat it on medium-high for about 20 minutes. There will be yellow clumps sticking to the whisk and/or floating in liquid when beating is complete. Strain into a container over cheesecloth. Using the cheesecloth, squeeze the butter until dry. Discard remaining liquid.

Yield: Approx. 1 cup butter

Note: To make salted butter, add 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt (to taste) the the butter right at the end of mixing before you squeeze the butter.

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14 Comments
  • drbiggles
    April 9, 2005

    MmmmMMmMmmm, ingredients.

  • caryn
    April 9, 2005

    Great idea! Thanks for the easy instructions. I have a stand mixer and a tv, so I guess I too can make butter. Good post.

  • nosheteria
    April 9, 2005

    How very industrious of you! I never thought to make such a simple, delightful ingredient. What are you going to do with the buttermilk?

  • Nic
    April 10, 2005

    Biggles – Yes, ingredients can be useful from time to time.
    Caryn – Thanks! And I found the TV to be vital to buttermaking.
    Nosh – Thank you. I was thinking of making a loaf of bread, but I’m leaning towards muffins… Once it’s ripe it’ll keep in the fridge, so I still have some time to think about it.

  • Alice
    April 10, 2005

    I really have to give this a try! It looks and sounds much better than old, rectangular slabs of supermarket butter.

  • Nic
    April 10, 2005

    Alice – I think it tastes great, although I know there is a small bias towards loving something when you’ve made it yourself.

  • rowena
    April 11, 2005

    Yay for butter, nay to margarine. Atleast in my kitchen! 😉

    Funny thing that I saw your comment at my place—I had been wanting to try that Spicy Blackberry BBQ Sauce for the longest time and actually picked up some fresh blackberries over the weekend. I had to check back with your recipe to see which kind of meat you served it with; although I had already bought a kilo of pork ribs. In any case, I’m looking forward to trying that recipe. And whittling down the list of great recipes that I’ve amassed from all the food bloggers out there!

  • Carli
    March 6, 2006

    How and when can you add salt it you wanted to make salted butter? Also does it matter the type of salt that you add?

  • -jess-
    March 21, 2006

    mmmmm sounds SO good.

    the last time *I* made butter, it was by putting the ingredients in a container and making my nephews roll it back & forth for … a lot longer than 20 minutes. 🙂

    it’s illegal to serve margarine in restaurants in wisconsin. just thought i’d add that. i think i might make some butter now… yum, butter on crackers, i’m drooling.

  • ben
    August 1, 2006

    Initially I thought I had made something a bit like cream cheese and I’d do better next time, but within a couple of hours the butter had taken on a reassuring yellowish tint and firmed up nicely.

  • Mjateznik
    August 1, 2006

    sounds like something worth a try.

  • Serminigo
    September 23, 2006

    Do you have to use a standing mixer?

  • Debi Jordan
    January 9, 2009

    hi
    vzm0jarjpr0reo4n
    good luck

  • Glenna Yang
    January 10, 2009

    hi
    vzm0jarjpr0reo4n
    good luck

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