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
Rickii Anne says
Can you store in canning jars? And can you be a little more specific on how long it stores?
Cath says
That’s how i discovered making butter at home … overwhipped the whipping cream!
Heather VM says
So my Boyfriend was making whipped cream and accidentally made it super chunky, we had never had this happen to us before and it had a butter like texture… i thought it was weird so i looked up how to make butter and ended up on your page. we might of not been able to make whipped cream but this butter sure turned out amazing!! thanks for the recipe <3
Trisha Allerdice says
Can you over do the blending?
Tami says
Thanks for this post and the recipe. I super appreciated your tip to cover the mixer it totally prevented a possible huge mess from happening. I loved the consistency of the butter. I’m about to make some biscuits with the buttermilk.
Linda Pemberton says
I have my grandmother’s butter churn that is the gallon glass jug with the churn top. Vermont Country Store sells a smaller one. I’m going to make butter with my grandkids. I grew up on a farm with milk cows and separating the milk and cream, etc, was a major process. We’ll see what happens. Maybe I need to do the maiden voyage alone first, then do it with them when I know more about what I’m doing. I think they’ll be shocked, being city kids and all. Exciting!!
CeKay says
I appreciate the simplicity of the recipe. I used dairy cream from a local farm and have made yogurt and ice cream. Today I made butter. Really fast and simple using my food processor. Quickly reached the “butter milk stage” and then washed the butter a couple times in the processor. Then put it into a bowl and squeezed and rinsed some more, added a dash of salt, and into the fridge. Thank you!
Aimee wagner says
Hey, thanks for the recipe! I’m making it for the first time right now and I do have one question. I’ve had the heavy cream beating in the mixer with the wire whisk attachment for about 20 minutes now on the highest speed and it seems to just be getting creamy but not solidifying at all. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Tori Avey says
That seems to be a long time, but it can take a while depending on temperature of the room, etc. Do double check to make sure you bought heavy whipping cream. Chilled cream seems to whip faster in my experience. Good luck!
Avolene badgett says
The number one no fail recipe for making homemade butter. I have sat beside an old wood cook stove churning using the old timey dasher the one you goshed up and down until the butter was made and the milk left was buttermilk. The butter made like this recipe using ice cold water to work all the milk out of the butter then add the salt iit is just like what I used to make 60 years ago. No store bought butter can match this butter.
Trisha Pizzuti-Bockus says
I discovered making butter on my own by accident when I over-mixed whipping cream for a pie topping and still make it occasionally. I’ve typically used my butter for spreading on breads, and seasoning for veggies, rice, etc. — not yet in baking cakes, etc. My baking specialties are homemade pound cake and cream puffs/eclairs. Will results be same…or better using my butter?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Trisha, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. This butter can be used in baking recipes.
nicola hicks says
hello, I just made butter from raw cream in my mixer and after the butter clumped together on the whisk I drained the buttermilk and I started to clean the butter with water untill it run clear…but my butter is very soft——should it be soft? I put it in the fridge and is had firmed up but still easy to spread straight out of the fridge…I,m wondering if I have done something wrong or is this how it should be..also it has a more creamy taste than the butter you buy in the shops—does this sound right for home made butter? sorry for being dumb but I wonder if you can please help with my question…thank you
Tori Avey says
No question is dumb Nicola 🙂 I’m sure what you made is pretty tasty, and you should enjoy it. The only issue is that you didn’t whisk it for long enough. Try whisking it for longer next time.
Ayurvedic upchar says
The buttermilk that is created Is same as we buy from the store.
Yvette says
You have neglected to say how to squish butter with water do I use a chescloth?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Yvette, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. It is done by pressing out the buttermilk with a small spatula or spoon.
Cindy McHugh says
So I was wondering. The buttermilk that is created? Is that the same as we buy in the store. Meaning, can I use this buttermilk to soak my chicken? I can;t wait to try it.
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Cindy, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. I would only suggest using the buttermilk from the first time you squeeze it out. As you add water it will continue to dilute the buttermilk and probably wouldn’t make for a great soak.
Margaret says
Hi thank you for the recipe, can I use this like bought butter I.e to bake, buttercream
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Margaret, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Yes, you can use this just like butter from the store. 🙂
Judy says
I love this recipe and will probably never buy butter from a supermarket again!!! I found this recipe out of curiosity because I wanted to put butter on my breakfast muffins, but got home too late and forgot to go to the store, but I had a pint of heavy cream. I used a hand-held mixer, and it took about 20 minutes for the fat to separate from the milk. I got confused with how much water to use, so I only used about a half cup to a cup to rinse the butter. It is the best butter I’ve ever tasted. Oh, the cream was ultra-pasturized.
Tony Pohlman says
Having grown up on a farm in Iowa, I was fortunate enough to have access to the whole milk made available by “Betsy” and her 11 sisters n cousins! Spring milk was great ( and greenish). Butter n icecream were all big hits. Our butter churn was a gallon jar, a special lid with a crank handle attached to a paddle inside… Great butter for eggplant pancakes with home made “blood clot”,syrup! (Sounds worse than it is… Karo clear with powdered sugar and red food coloring lol!)
Gigi says
Tony, I’m intrigued by your syrup. I’m from the Caribbean and in one of the countries a variation on that name is used as a swear word. Could you share with me the recipe for you Blood Clot syrup? I would like to try it out.
George... says
Never having made butter before, I just had to try this. I used my KitchenAid Classic mixer with the wire whip, as they call it. I used a quart of cream and had a good time. Funny thing about the wire whip, when the butter is done it collects inside the wire “cage”. You are notified of this by all the buttermilk being splashed all over the counter and floor. Came out beautifully, though. The ball of butter collected in the whip had almost no buttermilk remaining inside, and washed clear quickly. It came out very stiff, and the ice-water improved on that. This is a no-brainer for butter. My Mother used to have a butter churn next to the fireplace when I was a kid. She made butter with a similar churn when she was a little girl, probably sharing the job with the other 10 brothers and sisters. Thanks for reviving the memories and showing the more updated process we can use today.
Connie says
How long will this last? Can you freeze it?
Tori Avey says
It should last for several months in the refrigerator, and yes you can freeze it if you wish.
Estelle says
Do you think that powdered heavy cream could be a replacement option for the heavy cream?
Tori Avey says
Estelle, no– sorry, I think this needs to be made with actual cream for best results.
Kirste Lewis says
When I was in kindergarten every week we were shown, then taught how to male something new and I just wanted to ask if it makes a difference or not. The way they taught us was whipping cream and salt in a clean baby food jar and lots sand lots of shaking, there was no ice water baths so are they necessary or does the recipe work either way if the bowl of ice water is removed?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Kirste, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. That method creates a butter that is a bit wet and not very solid. The ice water bath is used to remove the buttermilk so that the butter lasts longer without going rancid.