4 Homemade Butter

Making butter ended up being so incredibly satisfying.  I wondered what it was like in the old days, to only have butter by churning it yourself.  It probably tasted amazing, fresh and pure.  Maybe you even milked your own cow?  I would love that life.  As long as after I was done milking and churning I could get on my iPad and surf Pinterest.  Not asking too much am I?

I will admit, I won't be making all of my butter myself.  But for special occasions, definitely.  Or to make flavored butter, for sure.  I was tempted to make herb & garlic butter or something snazzy like that, but decided I wanted to get to know my first homemade butter plain, simple.  

Disclaimer:  if you don't want to be whisking for 20-30 minutes by hand I suggest using your mixer.  However if you do, your biceps will feel AWESOME afterwards, you might, however, not be able to use your arm for the rest of the day without cramping.  So worth it though.

First tip in butter making:  You want your bowl to be cold.  Really cold.  Luckily my house was already freezing that morning, but otherwise refrigerate your bowl for a few minutes.

Prepare to whip your little heart out.  You may sweat, that's totally normal.

You will be tempted to just stop at the whip cream stage, go ahead - have a spoonful, but keep going.

Then you'll get really bored, turn on music.  Music is a key distraction.  I was in a Bob Marley mood, I put Could You Be Loved on repeat and pretended I was back in Hawaii.

Then your arm will really start to hurt and just when you think you can't go on the cream will start to look dry and crumbly.  You're almost there!

Then it magically breaks and the buttermilk runs from the curds.  You did it!

Smell your butter.  Poke at your butter.  Hey, it feels like...butter.  Taste your butter, tastes like whip cream?  Keep stirring.  Tastes like butter?  You're ready for the next step.

Take your cheese cloth and drain that bad boy.  Save that buttermilk!  You can use it in baking, etc.  Rinse your butterball.  You want to get all the buttermilk out.

In a food processor whip your butter to be sure every last drop of liquid is out.  It also makes the butter nice and creamy.  I suppose this is where you would add any of those aforementioned snazzy ingredients.

And now you have a beautiful, fresh, homemade butterball!  I kind of wished I had some butter molds...but I'm nerdy like that.  Use it however you wish.  I had to start with plain old toast and it was lovely.  This butter is so light, delicate even, grassy, creamy, milky, and sweet.

Recipe:

Half Pint of Heavy Cream
Cold Bowl
Cheese Cloth

1.  Whip the Heavy Cream in a cold bowl for 20-30 minutes, or until the butter solids rise and the buttermilk breaks out.

2.  Strain, rinse, whip in food processor until all liquid from your butterball runs clear or there isn't any liquid left.  Save or discard the buttermilk.

3.  Add snazzy ingredients or leave plain.  (If you add salt or seasoning, do not freeze)

4.  Wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge along with your jealous store bought butter.

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