As I’m learning, there is nothing better than making it yourself.  I’m just amazed each time I have that DUH! moment when I figure out, “Yes, I can make that!”

I’ve talked about Suzanne at Chickens in the Road quite a few times in the past year.  The forum on her site is a wonderful place to learn with and from others who are on the same road I am – simplifying and self-sustaining.  Last month, there was a great topic started for “Making Your Own Butter”. What could be better on my homemade bread???

So, of course, I had to try this myself!!

Start out with heaving cream, or if you’re lucky enough to have your own access to real milk, use that! Purchasing raw (real) milk is illegal here in Michigan (and other states), however you can purchase shares of a cow, so you won’t buying milk, but using the milk from your own cow.

Leave the cream sit out out on the counter for 6 – 8 hours, for the cream to come to room temperature and give it a chance to sour just a bit.  This will allow the butter to form faster.

Use a quart jar, or if you happen to have one of these shakers you might as well put that to use!  But you can only shake about 1 cup of cream at a time – it needs room to move.  Now start shaking!

My butter had formed after 9 minutes of shaking.  And this is not a vigorous shaking, just a gentle up and down and all around shaking.

Over a bowl, pour your jar of butter and buttermilk through a strainer.  You want to keep that homemade buttermilk!  It’s not cultured like you find in the store and is really good!  I find it tastes like a lower fat milk if you strain it further with a muslin cloth.  Little pieces of butter will go through this size of strainer.

Transfer the butter from your strainer into a small plastic bowl.  Run COLD water into.  It doesn’t need to be a lot.  Now, using a small scraper or spatula – something with a bend – smoosh the butter to the side of the bowl.  Dump the water out.  Repeat until the water runs clear.  At this point, you can add a little salt.  For this amount, a pinch would be good.  Salting it will help it stay fresher longer.  But for this 1/4 cup of butter that I got, it’s not sitting the fridge for very long!

Now, enjoy a piece of homemade whole wheat bread with that fresh, homemade butter!

Here's the full recipe and printable!

Butter, Homemade

Prep Time:

30 min

Cook Time:

none

Yield:

1 cup

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• salt

Preparation Instructions

1. Leave the cream sit out out on the counter for 6 – 8 hours, for the cream to come to room temperature and give it a chance to sour just a bit.  This will allow the butter to form faster.
2. Use a quart jar, or if you happen to have one of these shakers you might as well put that to use. Now start shaking.
3. My butter had formed after 9 minutes of shaking.  And this is not a vigorous shaking, just a gentle up and down and all around shaking.
4. Over a bowl, pour your jar of butter and buttermilk through a strainer.
5. Transfer the butter from your strainer into a small plastic bowl.
6. Run COLD water over the butter.
7. Now, using a small scraper or spatula – something with a bend – smoosh the butter to the side of the bowl.
8. Dump the water out.
9. Repeat until the water runs clear.
10. At this point, you can add a little salt if desired. For this amount, a pinch would be good. Salting it will help it stay fresher longer.
11. Store in a covered container.

See all my Cooking Recipes!