In this post my friend Sharon Biggs Waller, a historical novelist, shares her recipe and method for making homemade butter. Rich, delicious butter can be made using heavy cream and a few simple kitchen items. No churn is required. Read on for the method, or watch the video for a tutorial!
Whenever I tell people I make my own butter they tend to look at me in wonder. “Making butter? Sounds like alchemy,” one person said. Invariably I’m asked if I use a butter churn. Although the idea of sitting on my porch using an old-fashioned churn appeals to my inner Little House on the Prairie, I don’t collect enough cream from my dairy goat to use such a device, nor do I possess the funds to buy one. The truth is, butter is a simple thing to make with ordinary kitchen tools, and you don’t even need to own a goat or a cow. You can make butter with store-bought whipping cream. But before we get into the details, let’s talk a bit about the history of butter.
People have been making butter for centuries throughout Europe and Asia. Humans initially used butter as a way of preserving the fat in milk. Butter rose to prominence as a spread and cooking fat in northern Europe during the Middle Ages, when it was eaten by peasants. The upper classes also ate it periodically, because it was the only animal fat allowed by Rome on days when meat was forbidden. In the 16th century it was allowed during Lent. In the early days, it took a little while to get enough cream to churn, and so it was collected over various days. Because the milk in these small old-timey dairies was not refrigerated, the lactic acid bacteria inherent in dairy would ferment slightly. This cultured butter has a very tangy and rich flavor, and is my personal favorite. Spread cultured butter on sourdough bread or a crusty baguette and you’ll know what heaven tastes like. Most butters made in Europe still taste this way, although they are made from pasteurized cream inoculated with lactic acid.
Uncultured butter made from straight-up pasteurized cream is called sweet cream butter, and is what we’re used to in the United States. Pasteurization of the cream kills the lactic acid bacteria, however butter made from such cream lasts longer. True cultured butter, made from raw cream, turns rancid after ten days. If you want your butter to taste cultured, Ricki Carroll, author of the book Home Cheese Making, advises using unpasteurized cream and letting it ripen at room temp (72 degrees) for several hours. Or use pasteurized cream, let it sit for 12 to 24 hours, add mesophilic starter and let the cream set out overnight before churning. If you’d like to taste European-style butter without making your own, try the brand Plugrá. Although technically not a cultured butter, Plugrá uses natural flavors from cultured milk.
At its very essence, making butter requires nothing more than agitation. What you’re doing is separating the fat from the milk. You can use a blender, a stand mixer or hand mixer, or just shake by hand (if your child has a lot of energy, enlist their help; kid-power goes a long way!). I usually use my stand mixer with the whip attachment for making butter. I’ve also used a blender in the past and it worked just as well. If you use a stand mixer, be sure to place a kitchen towel over the mixer and the bowl to stop the buttermilk from flinging all over your kitchen, which will happen when the butter globules form.
You’ll notice in the pictures below that some of the butter is white, not yellow. That’s because I have a herd of goats, so I usually use the cream we collect to make my homemade butter. Goat’s milk is white because it doesn’t have the beta carotene that causes the yellowish blush in cow milk. A goat turns the carotene present in her fodder into vitamin A, which is colorless.
Here is the process for making homemade butter, step-by-step!
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How to Make Homemade Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- Large bowl of ice water
- Salt to taste (optional)
- Stand mixer, hand mixer or blender, or a jar with a tight fitting lid
Instructions
- Pour a pint of heavy cream or whipping cream into your device or into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. If using a machine, turn on low speed, then raise to medium speed. If you're using a jar, start shaking (you'll need some serious elbow grease if doing it by hand). First, the cream will turn into whipped cream with soft, then stiff peaks. Keep going until the cream breaks. If you’re shaking the cream by hand, you’ll hear a sloshing, then you’ll begin to feel something more solid hit the sides of the jar. If you’re using a stand mixer, you’ll see the butter clinging to the beater. This usually takes anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes -- by hand may take longer. In this process, you are separating the butterfat from the liquid.
- Once the butter has solidified, pour off the buttermilk and save it for baking (or drink it!). Scoop the butter into a bowl. Rinse the butter by pouring ice water over it and pressing the remaining buttermilk out with a small spatula or a spoon. Pour off the water and repeat the process. Keep rinsing and squishing the butter with the ice water until the water runs clear. Then add some salt if you like and work that through the butter.
- There you have it-- old-fashioned butter, no churn required! Spread on toast, corn on the cob, a baked potato, or whatever you like and enjoy!
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Research Sources
Belanger, Jerry (2001). Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA
Carroll, Ricki (2002). Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA
McGee, Harold (2004). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Scribner, New York, NY
Cher says
I’m confused. I got a gallon of fresh, raw milk and let the cream rise. I skimmed that off and tried to agitate it 3 different ways – in a bowl, blender and food processor – and after 5-10+ minutes, all I’m getting is frothy cream. No yellow, no butter, no separating, nothing. Every ‘way’ to make butter that I’ve looked at is basically all the same, but mine isn’t even close to being butter. What could I possibly be doing wrong?
Tori Avey says
Hi Cher, did you chill the cream? It should be well chilled before you whip it. Try chilling it and see if that helps. Good luck!
brenda says
Will what the goats eat affect the taste of milk and butter. Wanted to get some to eat in the woods. Or is this a different type of goat? Just getting started and don’t know much about this.
Anitra Lawson says
I am super excited to try this with my kids at home. I remember making butter in 2nd grade and we took turns shaking the container. They will be amazed to eat something they made!
Peter F says
Had some English double cream that was still sealled in the container 9 days after the use by. Tried to whip it anyway as it didn’t smell particularly bad. Initially I was surprised by the frothy texture like when creaming butter and sugar to make a cake so I thought I’d add some sugar and mix it in but that is when the buttermilk precipitated out. Sweet buttermilk very nice. Been spreading the ‘butter’ on the scones I was expecting to put whipped cream on!
Scone recipie calls for both butter and milk & milk can be old… I wonder if the type and quantities needed are right by just over whipping cream and using both results?
Tori Avey says
The “buttermilk” that results from whipping the cream is not the same as buttermilk called for in recipes, it has a much thinner and more watery texture. I would use regular milk or cultured buttermilk rather than the remnants from the butter-making process to ensure best results with the scones.
Sangeeta Pal says
I love home made butter, butter tradional India way is a bit lengthy. But the idea of using whipped cream is great!
Charles Visser says
just tried this useing 1 litre and a half of whippping cream,cut up fresh red carrots and a bit of Himalayan pink salt,suprised to see how much butter milk came out,allin a blender that had to be covered over,it painted the kitchen with cream, will do this again for sure!
Donna says
Ok, so I just tried this, what did I do wrong because I did not get butter and I tried the blender, the mixer and my food processor…..ugggh
Tori Avey says
Hi Donna, did you use heavy whipping cream? If not, I recommend trying heavy vs. regular whipping cream. How long did you whip it? It really needs to be whipped quite a long time to make the transition to butter, so perhaps you didn’t go long enough. Also ultra pasteurized cream will not work as well as single pasteurized or non-pasteurized cream. Sorry you didn’t have a better experience! Hope these tips help.
Margaret says
Do you think one could use an icecream maker to make butter?
Roy says
I live in a rural community and have been involved in a milk share with a Jersey cow. I make my butter with my Grandma’s old Dazey churn. Since it is made with raw milk, can I store the butter in a butter bell?
Cindy B says
Excellent question. Did you find an answer through another source?
Kat says
Hi! Thanks for sharing. Going up try this with my kids. Can you tell me how long this stays good for? I’m also trying to switch to things I know what goes into my food. Also, can this be frozen? Thanks again!!
Tori Avey says
Hi Kat, you can freeze butter. In the refrigerator, it will keep for about 1 month before the flavor begins to change. It will still be ok after that, but for optimal flavor it should be consumed within 1 month.
Suzanne says
I would like receiving your newsletter with buttery recipes.
Wes Ballard says
Made this for my class of elementary students. We’re studying pioneer history, and this fits right in! This butter and some of my homemade sourdough bread . . . doesn’t get any better!
Donna Leiker says
I grew up on a farm, we had fresh milk till I was 24. Now I always made butter. Well, I have a ?. I just bought a quart of fresh raw cream and raw milk. But when I mixed the cream with my mixer, it took (and I am not kidding), 2 1/2 hours to get the butter made. It started to whip and get a little thicker than really thin, what was I doing wrong? And I have a comment. I fell on the ice really hard on my hip, did not break a hip, I contribute it to having the fresh raw organic milk till 24 when we had to move from the farm. I wish we all could have access to the organic milk.
Tori Avey says
Hi Donna, I asked Sharon (the author of the post) about this, here is her response:
It might have been too hot or too cold. 50-to 60 degrees is the best temp. That extra time mixing it probably caused the butterfat to become liquid instead of solid. ou can fix the problem by sticking it back in the fridge until it’s cold and then starting again.
Hope that helps!
Kitchen Kvetch says
This was a great read – history-wise! My mother used to make butter when I was a girl – nothing like that whipped sweet cream butter. You have inspired me to make my own again!
SuperDork42 says
Hi there, I have a question. I have a friend with a cow that we get our cream from for making butter, but the butter we make usually turns out hard, even at room temperature. Is there an addition we can make to the butter before it goes into the fridge that will fix that so that it’s easy to spread? I’ve seen a lot of recipes for making butter spreadable by adding oil but they all start with butter from the store, or with butter like this that is made from cream from the store. Will that work with real, fresh cream? I assume it would, but I can’t find anyone with any experience in making it that way.
Lynn says
I made for the first time a few minutes ago an used a little Himalayan pink crystal salt to taste.Then found your website and it says to wash the butter off which my recipe didn’t!! i hope this won’t affect the butter. I made into small pats and froze all but one so hopefully that will help it keep longer as I didn’t wash it off.
JenninOHIO says
WATCH OUT! some cream is now “ultra” pasturized, so will NOT make butter or buttermilk… It will however, keep fresh for over a month.. sigh… just look for REGULAR, single, pasturized cream.. hope that helps!
Jolene says
Good, safe butter is super expensive and hard to find here in Beijing. But good, safe whipping cream is easy-peasy! So thanks for the recipe, for now I shall have plenty of butter for all of my baking and cooking endeavors!
Ben says
One of the many jobs a Thermomix makes really easy. Done in 5 minutes. Here in Tasmania we have a terrific local producer of milk, cream and cheese (Ashgrove), and their cream is just brilliant turned in to butter.
Strongly recommend a Thermomix!
Gail says
Back in Jersey following a brilliant holiday in California.
Went to one of the local farm shops and bought 3 cartons of organic whipping cream which has made gorgeous butter and left me with a carton and a half of buttermilk. Will add flavours as required so that was a good thing to know in advance. The other good suggestion was to put a cloth over the bowl as I was using a hand whisk you can imagine what sort of a mess there would have been. Thank you for your guidance.
Will enjoy this tomorrow on scones with jam and dare I say clotted cream!!
sean says
I whipped it for about 12 minutes because 8 minutes in I got it to separate and thicken up but I did not get any buttermilk to drain from it.