Homemade butter is easy to make with the aid of appliances like a blender or food processor. What used to take half and hour of manual work can now be accomplished in just minutes! Read on to learn how to make butter.
Making Butter
This video explains the science behind making butter. The expert explains how to develop the lactic acid in the butter to improve the taste and make it easier for the butterfat to congeal. Leaving the cream at room temperature before making butter will increase the amount of lactic acid, and also change the microscopic structure of the cream, making it easier to form butter.
Introduction
Homemade butter can be made quickly and easily in the blender. Since most people don't have access to fresh raw milk, these instructions start with purchased cream.
Step 1: What You'll Need to Make Butter
- 1 pint whipping cream
- Blender
- Cheesecloth
- Salt, if desired
Step 2: Bring the Cream to Room Temperature
When whipping cream, you want it as cold as possible. When making butter, you want it to be at room temperature, so that it doesn't whip.
Step 3: Blend the Cream Until the Butter Forms
Pour the room temperature cream into the blender, and turn it onto low speed. Allow it to blend until the solids and liquids separate. You'll see a number of small yellow blobs that merge to form a larger yellow blob. Turn off the blender.
Step 4: Drain the Buttermilk
- Pour off the liquid surrounding the butter. This is buttermilk, which you can use to make fried chicken, biscuits, or buttermilk pancakes.
- Put the butter into the cheesecloth and squeeze it to remove the remaining buttermilk.
- Rinse the butter under cold running water.
- Squeeze it again, and follow with another rinse. Continue a few more cycles until all the buttermilk is gone, and you are left with a solid mound of butter.
