How to Make Churn-Style Butter

You can easily make churn-style butter at home.

Making your own churn-style butter at home is easy and requires no special equipment other than an electric mixer and strainer. Freshly-made butter is a good way to ensure that your butter does not contain any additives. If you have access to fresh cow's milk from a nearby farm, making your own butter can even save you money, as fresh milk tends to cost less than fresh butter. If you start with milk fresh from the cow, skim off the cream to use in the recipe, or start with store-bought heavy cream.

Things You'll Need

• Electric mixer with whisk
• Large bowl
• Strainer
• Cheesecloth
• 4 pints heavy cream
• Salt

Instructions

1. Pour four pints of heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. If you are using raw cream, ripen the cream by letting it sit on your kitchen counter or drainboard for around 10 or 12 hours, or until the cream smells slightly sour.

2. Whisk the cream with an electric mixer set to medium speed. The cream will whip and then become heavier; after five to 10 minutes, you will see the butter begin to separate out. After another few minutes, you will see a solid mass turn yellow and completely separate from the buttermilk.

3. Strain the butter from the liquid with a colander lined with cheesecloth. Save the buttermilk for use in cooking or for drinking.

4. Rinse the butter with cold water; it will have a crumbly texture.

5. Return the butter to the bowl and whisk it for a further 30 seconds to one minute, or until more buttermilk separates out.

6. Strain again to separate the butter from the buttermilk.

7. Place the butter in a clean bowl and cover it with cold water. Use your hands to gently squeeze and knead the butter. Some buttermilk will come out of the butter and turn the water cloudy.

8. Drain the water and buttermilk out of the bowl and repeat this process twice more. On the third rinse, the water should run clear. The butter should be firm and smooth-textured.

9. Sprinkle the butter with salt, if using. Use around 1 teaspoon of salt for each pound of butter. Knead the salt into the butter.

10. Weigh the butter and form it or cut it into 4-ounce or 8-ounce slabs. Dip your hands in cold water before forming the butter to prevent it from melting.

11. Wrap the slabs of butter in wax paper. You should have around two and a quarter pounds of butter.

12. Store your fresh butter in the refrigerator. Salted butter will keep for two to three weeks. Unsalted butter will last for only a few days.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use wooden butter bats to knead and shape the butter. They prevent the butter from melting from the heat of your hands. If you are using butter bats, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes before using.

• You should not freeze butter made from raw milk, but it is safe to freeze butter made from pasteurized cream.

References

• Mother Earth News: How to Make Butter Without a Separator, Without a Churn, and Without Difficulty
• The Guardian; How to Make Butter; Darina Allen; 2010