How to Use a Butter Churn
Homemade butter is a delicious addition to bread or baked goods. Many people shy away from butter because of its high fat and calorie content but, when eaten in moderation, a little bit of butter can be enjoyed everyday. Butter can be churned in anything that allows you to agitate the cream. Classrooms of young children make butter while shaking the cream and a few clean glass marbles in a jar. Simple butter churns are available for purchase that allow you to make your own butter. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Dishwashing detergent
- Nylon mesh sponge
- Kitchen towels
- 4-qt. capacity butter churn
- 4 qt. heavy cream
- Pitcher
- Strainer
- Cheesecloth
- 2 tsp. table salt
- Wooden spoon
- Glass jars
Instructions
-
-
1
Check your butter churn to make sure it's clean and dust-free if you don't use it frequently. Wash it out with a drop or two of dishwashing soap and warm water, then rinse and dry with a lint-free kitchen towel. Any dust left inside the butter churn will get mixed into the butter.
-
2
Heavy cream is like a very thick milk. Pour 4 qt. room-temperature heavy cream into the butter churn. Cream that's been cultured in the refrigerator for a few days or purchased from the store can also be used; using cream at room temperature speeds up the churning process.
-
-
3
Place the lid on the butter churn so the paddles are down in the cream and begin to turn the crank. Crank the butter churn in a steady motion, stopping only to have someone else take a turn, if necessary. A fast, steady cranking motion churns the butter within 30 minutes and a steady, slow cranking motion yields butter in an hour or so, depending upon how many times you stop and start.
-
4
Continue to crank the butter churn until the cream turns yellow and small chunks of butter begin to form and separate from the liquid.
-
5
Cheesecloth is a thin, mesh-like fabric that allows you to strain liquids from solids. Remove the lid on the butter churn and pour the liquid, or buttermilk, through a strainer and into a pitcher. Lay the butter in a piece of cheesecloth and use the cheesecloth to help you squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the homemade butter.
-
6
Lay the butter on your clean countertop. Sprinkle and mix in up to 2 tsp. table salt, 1/2 tsp. at a time. Add the salt and knead it into the butter with your hands; taste the butter after each 1/2 tsp. of salt is added to see if it's reached the desired taste.
-
7
Store your homemade butter in glass jars in the refrigerator. Wash the butter churn, inside and out, then rinse and allow it to air dry completely.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Add dried, ground herbs to taste. Start with 1/2 tsp. at a time of rosemary, garlic or an Italian herb mix to make flavored butters.
Leave your homemade butter unsalted for use in baked goods.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
More Like This
Comments
-
Tonight I did something I have wanted to do for a long time. I made butter in my grandmother's old churn. I have made butter before using my Kitchen-aid. The churn is very large, about 8 quarts, and I have never been able to purchase enough heavy cream to use it. The other day I found 1/2 gallon size cartons of cream. I bought enough to fill the churn. It took about a hour and half and lots of muscle but it was worth it. Now all I need is some hot out of the oven bread.
