It only takes 2 ingredients and a little arm strength to make butter with a butter churn, the old fashioned way!
I’ve been on a path to learning the old ways of preparing food, which means understanding how foods are actually made. It’s really surprising how simple and easy it is to make so many of the pre-packaged foods we often buy in the store like brown sugar, bone broth, caramel sauce and so much more! Oftentimes they’re made with really simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand! I like to make food from scratch as much as possible, but there are many times I buy pre-packaged items out of convenience.
Whether you’re someone who is learning to make everything from scratch or you do so once in a while, I think it’s important to at least have the knowledge of how to make foods from scratch. In the case of a food shortage in your grocery store or if you’re in a pinch, you can arm yourself with the knowledge of how to prepare things you need for every day cooking.
So why learn how to make butter?
And that leads us to butter. I’m someone who buys my butter in bulk from a wholesale store because it’s an ingredient my family uses a lot. Regardless, I still wanted to learn how to make homemade butter for those fancy occasions or for the times where I just want to slow things down a bit and work with my hands in the kitchen. Now in full transparency, is it cheaper to make your own butter from scratch? At this time, no it’s not unless you’re buying the more expensive brands of butter. Is it fun and rewarding to see the fruits of your labor, especially when you’re making butter with a butter churn? Absolutely! So let’s learn just how easy it is to make butter with only 1-2 ingredients.
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FAQs
Can you make butter from milk?
The answer is yes and no. In order to make butter, you need cream. If you have your own dairy cow that you milk or if you buy raw milk, then you will have milk that is not homogenized, meaning the cream will separate from the milk and float to the top. You then can remove the cream and use it to make butter. When it comes to pasteurized milk, the milk you traditionally buy from the grocery store, that milk has been homogenized. That means is has undergone a process where the fat is broken down into a smaller pieces and therefore, the cream will not separate and you cannot make butter.
What is the best cream for making butter?
There are different forms of cream available on the market today. There’s heavy whipping cream, whipping cream, light cream and half and half. The difference between most of these is the fat percentage, with heavy whipping cream having the highest. To make butter, you’ll need a high fat percentage, therefore heavy whipping cream is the winner. Luckily the most common options you’ll see in the grocery store are heavy whipping cream and half and half, so the choice is really easy.
How much cream does it take to make 1 pound of butter?
To make a pound of butter, you’ll need a quart, or 32 ounces, of heavy cream (heaving whipping cream).
How long does homemade butter last?
The length of time your homemade butter lasts will depend on whether or not the buttermilk was removed or not. If buttermilk remains in the butter, it will spoil a lot faster. On average, homemade butter should last a few weeks in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze homemade butter?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze butter! Make sure it’s wrapped well in plastic wrap or parchment paper and stored in an airtight bag or container. It can store in the freezer for up to a year.
Ingredients
Heavy Whipping Cream: You’ll want to use heavy whipping cream or heavy cream to make butter, not half and half or milk because you need a high fat content. You can also use raw milk that is not homogenized and skim the cream off the top.
Salt (optional): I like to use pink Himalayan salt in my kitchen, but use whatever salt you’re comfortable with.
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How to Make Butter with a Butter Churn
TOOLS YOU MAY NEED
- Butter churner (kit)
- Silicone mat
- Butter mold
- Butter paddles (optional)
- Spatula
- Cheesecloth
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
INGREDIENTS
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream (32 oz)
- 1 tsp salt (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Set the heavy cream out on the counter a few hours before making butter to allow it to come to room temperature, then pour the heavy whipping cream into the jar of the butter churn and place the lid on top.
Begin turning the handle and whipping the cream. After 5 minutes or so, you’ll notice the cream has thickened into whipped cream.
Continue churning the cream until it starts to become really difficult to turn the handle, but don’t stop.
Soon after it’s difficult to turn the handle, it will all of a sudden become easy. This is the point in which the butter has completely separated from the buttermilk.
Pour the buttermilk into a separate container, like a mason jar, then place the butter into a bowl.
Pour filtered cold water over the butter and begin “washing” it to remove any remaining buttermilk. You’ll have to wash the butter a few times until the water runs clear.
Use a tea towel or cheesecloth to squeeze as much liquid out of the butter as possible.
Return the butter to a clean, dry bowl and mix in salt (optional).
Place the butter into the silicone molds, or shape it however you prefer, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Remove the butter from the molds and use it as you normally would!
NOTES
- Choose heavy whipping cream over any other type of cream to make butter.
- If you don’t have a butter churn, you can also make butter in a stand mixer, hand mixer or food processer following a very similar process.
- The more buttermilk and water that is squeezed from the butter, the longer it will keep.
- Store the butter in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to use it.
How to Make Butter
It only takes 2 ingredients and a little arm strength to make butter with a butter churn, the old fashioned way!
Ingredients
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream (32 oz)
- 1 tsp salt (optional)
Instructions
- Set the heavy cream out on the counter a few hours before making butter to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream into the jar of the butter churn and place the lid on top.
- Begin turning the handle and whipping the cream. After 5 minutes or so, you'll notice the cream has thickened into whipped cream.
- Continue churning the cream until it starts to become really difficult to turn the handle, but don't stop.
- Soon after it's difficult to turn the handle, it will all of a sudden become easy. This is the point in which the butter has completely separated from the buttermilk.
- Pour the buttermilk into a separate container, like a mason jar, then place the butter into a bowl.
- Pour filtered cold water over the butter and begin "washing" it to remove any remaining buttermilk. You'll have to wash the butter a few times until the water runs clear.
- Use a tea towel or cheesecloth to squeeze as much liquid out of the butter as possible.
- Return the butter to a clean, dry bowl and mix in salt (optional).
- Place the butter into the silicone molds, or shape it however you prefer, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the butter from the molds and use it as you normally would!
Notes
- Choose heavy whipping cream over any other type of cream to make butter.
- If you don't have a butter churn, you can also make butter in a stand mixer, hand mixer or food processor following a very similar process.
- The more buttermilk and water that is squeezed from the butter, the longer it will keep.
- Store the butter in the refrigerator or freezer until you're ready to use it.
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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE FROM-SCRATCH RECIPES?
Looking for more from-scratch recipes like this homemade butter? Check these out!
- How to Render Tallow from Beef Fat
- How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
- How to Make Homemade Brown Sugar
- How to Make Homemade Yogurt in the Crockpot
Did you try making butter with a butter churn? If you did, tag me on Instagram (@thesimplehomeplace) to show me your own recreation of this recipe!
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