How to Churn Butter in a Blender

Make your own freshly churned butter at home.

Few things are better than a slice of freshly baked bread slathered with rich, creamy butter. Dripping over stacked pancakes or melting into a steaming baked potato, the list of foods enhanced by the delicate taste of butter is endless. By making your own fresh homemade butter in a blender, you have many options available to you. Serve it plain, or customize your own freshly churned butter by adding fresh or dried herbs, citrus zest or spices to create flavored butters referred to as compound butters. Make your own fresh butter in minutes with a blender and a pint of cream.

Things You'll Need

• Kitchen or milk thermometer
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream cream
• Electric blender
• Sea salt
• Spatula
• Wooden spoon
• Small container

Instructions

1. Place a pint of heavy whipping cream on the kitchen counter. Allow it to sit until it registers approximately 60 degrees on a kitchen or milk thermometer.

2. Pour the heavy whipping cream into clean electric blender. Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. sea salt to taste.

3. Put the lid on the blender and set it on high speed, typically the liquefy setting. Blend for five minutes, until the butter starts getting firm. Lift the blender lid and scrape the grainy substance from the side of the blender back into the main butter batch.

4. Replace the lid on the blender and resume blending at high speed for another five minutes. Scrape the sides and resume blending for an additional five minutes.

5. Turn off the blender and allow the butter and liquid to separate for a minute.

6. Pour the buttermilk liquid into a container, leaving the butter in the blender. Press the butter in the blender with a spatula or wooden spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Pour the additional excess liquid from the blender into the container.

7. Pour ice cold water into the blender and pulse for five seconds to rinse the butter. Pour the water from the blender and repeat the process until the water runs clear. Rinsing the butter makes it last longer.

8. Spoon the freshly churned butter into a container, using a wooden spoon. Cover the container and refrigerate.

Tips & Warnings

• Refrigerate the buttermilk liquid for later use in baking or for drinking.

• One pint of heavy whipping cream makes 8 oz. of butter.

• Additional salt can be sprinkled on and worked into the finished butter before refrigerating, depending on personal taste. However, if salt is not mixed thoroughly into the butter, it may result in the butter "sweating." Sweating may also result from the butter not being thoroughly rinsed.

• Use only ice water to rinse the butter. Warm water softens the butter.

• Use only pasteurized cream.

References

• Mother Earth News; How to Make Butter Without a Separator, Without a Churn, and Without Difficulty; March/April 1978
• Web Exhibits: Butter Through the Ages: How Do You Make Butter
• Penn State Cooperative Extension; Making Butter at Home; Bob Roberts