Homemade Butter

Butter has a very bad, cholesterol ridden reputation but I have to admit that I still love it.  Hot buttered toast with tea is one of my favorite comfort foods and there is nothing better than a chunk of warm, crusty baguette slathered in butter.  Margarine cannot even come close to the light, creamy flavor and texture of real butter, but there is something even better than butter . . . homemade butter!  I do not usually make homemade butter, but I have eaten it often at my mom’s house and have  fond childhood memories of watching butter form while using an old hand-turned butter churn.  Since I do not currently own a butter churn, I have been seeking a more modern method for butter making and found  instructions in several places for making butter by shaking cream in a glass jar.  After talking to my mom about this subject, however, I learned that there is an even easier way to make butter using a food processor.   This is the easiest process ever for making fresh butter right at home and, if you have never tasted fresh, homemade butter, you have to try this at least once.  Also, I’m a big believer in showing kids where food comes from, whether it’s growing a small garden or taking them to a farm, and making butter at home is a great way to show them how one more ingredient is really made.

Homemade Butter using a Food Processor

This same process can be used with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, but it may take a little longer for the butter to form.

Makes about 1 cup or the equivalent of 2 sticks of butter

Ingredients:

1 pint of heavy whipping cream

Pinch of salt (optional)

Cold water

1.  Pour the cream into a food processor fitted with a blade and put the lid on.  Run the food processor continuously until the cream curdles and a watery, milky substance forms at the bottom of the processor bowl.

2.  Carefully pour out the watery liquid, making sure to keep the butter in the processor.  Transfer the butter to a large bowl and, using a flat wooden spoon or bamboo paddle, press the butter against the side of the bowl to release as much of the remaining liquid as possible.  Carefully pour this liquid out of the bowl.

(If you are going to use the butter within a day or two, you can stop righthere and refrigerate the butter as is.  If, however, you want the butter to keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, continue to the next steps to rinse out all the extra buttermilk to keep the butter from souring.)

3.  Rinse the butter with very cold tap water or, if your tap water is not very cold, water that has been refrigerated.  Swirl the water over the butter a few times and then press the butter against the side of the bowl again to release as much liquid as possible.  Pour the liquid out of the bowl and continue rinsing and pressing the butter a few more times until the water runs clear and is not longer milky.

4.  Place the butter on a thin, clean kitchen towel or paper towel and light press it to remove any lingering traces of liquid.  If you want to add salt to the butter, place the butter in a clean bowl and sprinkle it lightly with a pinch of kosher salt (it is very easy to over-salt the butter, so start with just a little).  Fold the salt into the butter using a wooden spoon.

You can now form the butter into a log or a block by placing it in plastic wrap and forming it, or you can use a rubber spatula to press it into a ramekin or jar.  Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Although the butter making process looks a little daunting and complicated at first, it is actually very easy to do and takes only about 15 minutes from start to finish.  To test this homemade butter against store bought, I bought a fresh baguette and warmed it in the oven then we cut it into slices and buttered away!  As a comparison, I used the butter I usually buy, Challenge Salted Butter.  Having eaten homemade butter in the past, the results were just as I had expected:  Homemade butter tasted much fresher and creamier than store bought and had a smoother, spreadable texture.  Another bonus, in my opinion, is that you can control the amount of salt in homemade butter.  I find that store bought butter often tastes too salty to me, unless I buy unsalted, but unsalted is not salty enough for spreading on bread.  With homemade butter, you can easily control the amount of salt you add and I just put a small sprinkling in mine.  The homemade butter was quite a bit more expensive than store bought, however, and takes some extra time and effort to create.  Also on the down side, I do not know how homemade butter would work in baked goods but I suspect the creamier texture might make things turn out a little differently.

Bottom Line:  The light, creamy texture and fresh flavor of homemade butter makes it perfect for spreading on toast or hot rolls.  However, it is significantly more expensive than store bought butter and may not work as well for baking.  Homemade butter would be wonderful to serve at a special occasion (such as Thanksgiving!) but may not be worth the price or effort on a regular basis.

Homemade Butter                                    Challenge Salted Butter

Price:  $2.64 for 1 cup                                     Price:  $1.65 for 1 cup (2 sticks)

Time:  15 minutes                                            Time:  None