From Scratch
Do-It-Yourself Butter
Yield: 2 cups butter, plus 1¾ cups buttermilk
Butter is such a staple ingredient in the kitchen, so why not learn how to make it yourself! Whether you have a dairy animal, buy from a local farmer or buy from the store, all you need is heavy cream, and you’ll be able to have freshly made butter. Once you realize how easy and fun homemade butter is to make, you’ll be hooked!
Homemade butter has a soft, sweet and creamy taste that you just do not get with the store-bought alternative. Enjoy spreading it on your favorite baked goods, adding it to your favorite dessert recipes or using it in your pasta dishes. Get ready to take each and every one of your favorite recipes to a whole new level.
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 tsp salt (optional)
About an hour before you want to make your butter, remove the heavy whipping cream from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. This will allow the cream to churn into butter much faster than were it cold.
Once your cream is at room temperature, pour it into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Alternatively, you can use a blender to make your butter; just know that your whipping time may vary quite a bit, depending on what blender you are using.
If you have a shield for your stand mixer, place that on top. I highly suggest placing a kitchen towel over your mixer as well, because this process can get messy! Set your mixer (or blender) to high speed, checking on it every minute or so.
Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water and set it aside. You will need this to shape your butter.
After about 1 minute, your heavy cream will start turning into a light and fluffy whipped cream. Although fresh whipped cream is delicious, keep whipping it past this point. After the whipped cream stage, the cream will become thick and grainy, and will start turning color. Keep going! After a total of about 5 minutes, the cream will completely separate, forming butter and buttermilk.
At this point, stop your mixer (or blender). Carefully pour out the buttermilk into a separate bowl and use a strainer or cheesecloth to remove any clumps. Make sure to save the buttermilk, as it can be used in many recipes including the Honey Buttermilk Biscuits.
Using your hands, remove all the butter that remains in the mixer (or blender) and press it together to make one large clump. Remove any remaining buttermilk from the butter that you can. Next, transfer your ball of butter to the bowl of ice water you prepared. The water helps keep the butter intact and prevent its sticking to your hands.
Storage: Wrap your butter in plastic wrap or parchment paper, or place it in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. For long-term storage, freeze it in a freezer bag for
up to 1 year.
Reprinted with permission from Cook Like A Homesteader by Mel Matthews.
Page Street Publishing Co. 2025. Photo credit: Katy McAvoy.