Nothing beats the creamy, fresh taste of homemade butter! Whether you’re making it for daily use or as part of your homesteading journey, this easy step-by-step guide will help you churn out delicious butter using simple ingredients.
🥛 What You’ll Need
🛒 Ingredients:
✅ 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream (preferably organic or raw, but any heavy whipping cream works!)
✅ ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (optional – for salted butter)
✅ 2-3 cups ice water (for rinsing)
🔧 Equipment:
✔️ Stand mixer, food processor, hand mixer, or mason jar
✔️ Large mixing bowl
✔️ Strainer or cheesecloth
✔️ Spatula or wooden spoon
✔️ Airtight container for storage
🏡 Step-by-Step Guide to Making Homemade Butter
🥄 Step 1: Pour & Prep the Cream
1️⃣ Start with cold heavy cream
2️⃣ Pour the cream into your mixer, food processor, or mason jar, making sure there’s enough space for expansion.
⚡ Step 2: Whip the Cream
- Mixer/Food Processor Method:
🔹 Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it turns into whipped cream.
🔹 Keep mixing! It will turn grainy, then separate into butter solids and buttermilk (this takes about 5-10 minutes). - Mason Jar Method (for an arm workout! 💪):
🔹 Shake the jar vigorously for 5-10 minutes. First, you’ll get whipped cream, then butter chunks will form.
🥛 Step 3: Drain the Buttermilk
✅ Once the butter separates, pour out the buttermilk into a separate container.
✅ Yield: From 2 cups of heavy cream, you’ll get about 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of buttermilk.
✅ Save the buttermilk for pancakes, biscuits, or dressings!
🚿 Step 4: Rinse the Butter
🧊 Place the butter into a cold water bath and knead it with a spoon to remove leftover buttermilk.
💧 Repeat until the water runs clear (this step helps prevent spoilage!).
🧂 Step 5: Add Salt & Flavors (Optional!)
💡 If making salted butter, mix in ¼ to ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt.
🌿 Want flavored butter? Add garlic, herbs, honey, or cinnamon for a tasty twist!
🏺 Step 6: Store Your Butter Properly
🧊 Refrigerate: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
❄️ Freeze: Wrap in parchment paper and store for up to 6 months.
🍞 Enjoy Your Homemade Butter!
Spread it on warm bread, use it for cooking, or make a flavored butter blend. Once you’ve tried homemade butter, you’ll never go back to store-bought!
