- 1 pint heavy cream*, warmed to room temperature
- Remove cream from fridge and set out to bring to room temperature.
- When ready, pour into mixing bowl. Using whisking attachement whisk at high speed.
- First, the cream will turn to a whipped cream consistency. This is actually whipped cream without the sugar added.
- Next, you will see the cream take on a yellow appearance. This is your sign that the process is about to finish (about 10 minutes).
- Suddenly, you will notice that the butterfat has completely seperated. It will look lumpy and be surrounded by buttermilk.
- With a spatula, empty the butter(fat) and buttermilk into a colander or strainer with a pan or bowl underneath. Let the excess buttermilk drip off into the pan or bowl.
- Place the butter(fat) on a large plate and kneed just as you would bread. This is to remove more buttermilk. As milk builds up just pour it into your bowl. It is important to remove as much as you can.
- Your butter can then be placed in a sealed container and placed in the fridge; the buttermilk can be poured into it's own container and refrigerated as well.
Buttermilk is fat free milk. It is especially creamy in taste and prized for use in bisquits, pancakes, breads and deserts.
Often you will see recipes offering vinegar as a buttermilk substitute. This is because they are talking about a cultured buttermilk. Butter(fat) and buttermilk can both be cultured, giving them a mild sour type flavor. I will post about this process later.
Freshly made butter(fat) can store for up to 3 weeks in the fridge. The important factor here is making sure to remove all the buttermilk that gets locked into the butter(fat). Knead, knead, knead!
Making homemade butter will not save you money unless you have a source for cream other than the grocery store (your own cow). One pint of heavy cream will yeild approximately 1 cup butter; 1cup buttermilk.
If you wish, you can add salt to the butter after kneading, though you might want to try it without first. Unsalted, sweet butter is delicious.
Create your own specialty butters by adding cooled carmelized onions, garlic and herbs.
“With enough butter, anything is good.”
Julia Child
