If the idea of making your own butter has you thinking lots of hard work and old wooden churns, then you are mistaken! Making butter at home couldn’t be simpler and it tastes so much better than anything you’ll find in the stores.
For this method, all you need is some heavy cream and a mason jar. That’s it! Then, just follow these simple steps on how to make your own butter.
Step 1: Choose the Right Jar
If you’re looking for ideas on how to repurpose or reuse empty mason jars, then making your own butter is perfect! Any size of jar will work, but just make sure it has a tight-fitting lid. Mason jars, jam jars or pickle jars are great for making large amounts. If you want smaller batches of butter, then baby food jars work well. Just make sure that you have space in the jar for the cream to churn into butter.
Step 2: Add the Cream and Shake
Choose a heavy cream with a high fat content, the higher the fat, the better the butter! Fill the jar with the cream about half-way making sure there is plenty of shaking room. Now, here is the fun art and the work out for your arms… shake it! Shake it hard.
In a few minutes, the cream will begin to whip. Keep shaking for about 6 minutes. The cream will separate leaving you with solid butter and a liquid, this is buttermilk.
Step 3: Drain the Buttermilk
Pour out the buttermilk and save it. There are plenty of yummy things you can make with buttermilk. The buttermilk can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. In a bowl or colander, rinse off the butter with a little cold water to get rid of any leftover buttermilk while shaping the butter into a ball.
Repeat the rinsing a couple of times, until the liquid is clear and there is no more buttermilk. This stage is important as the buttermilk will spoil the butter much faster. Once there is no more buttermilk, then all you are left with is pure homemade butter!
Extra Tips: Salted or Unsalted?
If you’d like salted butter, simply add a little salt to the cream before shaking. Anything up to 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup cream will be enough. You can also make your homemade butter into something more gourmet by adding in extra flavor with herbs or honey. Add in these extras once the butter has already been churned.
Storing your Homemade Butter
Homemade butter will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days, and about 7-10 days if kept refrigerated. Always store it with the lid on to ensure it stays nice and fresh.
With just a few minutes shaking and a few minutes more for rinsing, you'll have delicious, creamy homemade butter!