Is there one task that you do that really just makes you feel homesteader-ish? For me it is making a stick of butter! Having raw butter on my counter definitely brings a smile to my face.
I buy raw whole milk and cream from a good friend of mine and every week I turn that delicious cream into a pound of butter.
With their 3 milk cows they have a high milk production, so I am able to get my hands on as much milk as I need or want! You definitely want to find a source with cows that have good milk fat or butterfat so you get good cream!
I just love dumping my fresh cream into my mixer and watching it transform into beautiful, delicious, golden butter. Spread it on a slice of homemade gluten free bread and I am in heaven!
I also love using my raw milk to make my pumpkin spice creamer, homemade ricotta cheese, and even yogurt. We love our raw dairy around here!
Why making my own raw butter is so good.
For years I avoided butter because I was afraid of wasting money on cream only to have my butter not turn out. But like all things, I got over my fear and gave it a try… I am certainly glad I did!
If you would have told me last year, or even 5 years ago, that I would be growing my own food and making my own butter I would have told you “yeah right!”. However making butter from fresh raw cream has become a weekly task in my kitchen and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
The benefits of a raw dairy product for your health is what got me started on raw butter. There are so many good healthy bacteria’s in raw dairy products that it was a no brainer for me to have raw butter sitting on my counter.
To salt or not to salt? That is the question.
You likely won’t find unsalted butter in my kitchen. It just won’t happen!
I know that salt and butter get a bad rap in the health world, but both are so good for you! Which is why I choose to always salt my butter. Sometimes I even give it a little extra salt.
There are two main reasons I always salt my butter:
- salting your butter helps to remove any left over buttermilk in your butter
- salted butter just tastes so good!
Whether you choose to salt your butter or not doesn’t really matter, just place that stick of butter on your counter at room temperature and you are ready to spread this goodness on anything!
Learning old fashion skills might become so useful.
There are so many uncertainties in this world these days. As we have seen over the last couple years you can never be sure what this world is going to throw at us. With higher prices in every grocery store and market uncertainty, learning some old fashioned skills may not be such a bad idea.
Now I am not saying to live in fear, but I am saying it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. In fact, I would go to say it is highly important to be prepared.
As there is additional demand on food items, it is important to start learning the skills that our ancestors did for in case purposes. You may never HAVE to make butter, but it doesn’t hurt to have the skill in your back pocket in case you do.
Ways we like to use our raw butter.
Butter really can be used in anything. We are constantly baking and cooking from scratch in our kitchen so it doesn’t last very long on my counter.
Spreading butter on our homemade pancakes, gluten free bread, or even using it in pie crusts is some of our favorite ways to eat it. The possibilities are endless with how to use up your raw butter!
Equipment you will need.
In order to make butter you don’t need to use any equipment. You can simply add your cream to a jar, cap it and shake until your butter separates from the buttermilk. BUT you better start pumping some iron because that way uses a lot of muscles!
I do recommend a better way… which means you will need supplies of these alternatives.
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My favorite way to make butter is with my stand mixer. It sits on my counter and is the work horse of my kitchen! If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can also use a food processor or a blender. Any of those choices will work!
Once your have your butter you can simply shape them into balls and wrap them in plastic wrap to store in your fridge. I did that for a while but then I found these butter molds and I love them! They are shaped like a stick of butter which helps me measure when I am adding homemade butter to a recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 quart raw or pasteurized heavy cream (you can use any amount of cream)
- salt (optional)
What you are going to do:
- Place your cream in a stand mixer, food processors, or blender. If using a stand mixer make sure to cover it with a towel or you will get cream splattered all over your kitchen.
- Turn it on high to agitate you cream.
- Your cream will first form soft peaks
- Then it will turn into whipped cream
- Lastly, it will “break” and separate from the buttermilk.
- Rinse your butter under cold water, kneading it to remove all the buttermilk.
- Salt your butter if desired and knead the salt in to remove any additional buttermilk.
- Place into molds (if wanted) or form into balls to store in fridge. Keeps in fridge for weeks or in the freezer for 6 months.
Butter
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer, blender, or food processor
- 1 butter mold optional
Materials
- 1 quart raw or pasteurized heavy cream
- salt optional
Instructions
- Place cream in the bowl of your stand mixer and cover with a towel. You don't want cream to fling all over your kitchen.
- Turn mixer on high and let you cream start to agitate. It will first form soft peaks.
- Next you will get to the whipped cream stage.
- Finally your butter will "break" and separate from the buttermilk.
- Strain your butter from the buttermilk and knead it under cold water to get any remaining buttermilk out.
- Salt butter, if desired, and place in molds or shape into balls and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Store in fridge for 2 weeks or in freezer for 6 months.
Do you add salt to yours?
Yes, I do add salt to mine. It helps to remove the remaining buttermilk and I think it also tastes better. Everything is better with salt!
When I made mine it was slipping through my fingers as I was rinsing and kneading it and it was super soft and wouldn’t hold shape like yours.. Did I not mix it long enough or was it too warm?
It likely was too warm. That is usually what happens when it is too warm. You can correct that by sticking your bowl in a bigger bowl of ice water or in the fridge for a few minutes to make it colder. Then you should be able to proceed as normal! Hope this helps!
How much salt do you add?
If I am being completely honest, I never measure it. I just generously sprinkle it on. I would say it is roughly 1-2 tsp of salt if I had to guess!
What is the amount of time it usually takes your butter to separate?
Depending on the temperature of my cream and how old the cream is will determine how long. It can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes. It always varies!
Hi, I don’t have access to buying cream directly from someone, you say heavy cream but you talk about buttermilk. I will be buying the cream at the grocery store so wondering which cream to buy? Blend (10%), Coffee cream (18%), Heavy Cream (35% Whipping cream) or Buttermilk (9%)
Hi there! You will want to buy heavy cream from the grocery store. Once your cream is agitated enough it will turn to butter and “break”. That is when it will separate butter from the buttermilk. So with the heavy cream you buy you will get butter and buttermilk out of it!
Is there a way to save the buttermilk???
Absolutely! Buttermilk makes the best biscuits and waffles. Place a strainer over a bowl so the bowl catches all the buttermilk when you strain it. Than I pour it into a jar and save the buttermilk in the fridge.
About how much butter does 1 quart of cream make? I finally have access to raw milk and raw cream and want to know how much to purchase each week to have enough butter for baking & eating.
I usually get about 32-40 oz out of 1 quart of cream. Of course it always varies but that would be a good guess to get you started!
I made butter! 1 quart raw cream made 3 1/2 ounces butter and 1 2/3 cup buttermilk, which is not thick like commercial buttermilk. If I make this again, I will use the food processor instead of the Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Clean up took too long, lol
Yes, I agree! I switch back and forth between the kitchenaid and my vitamix blender. It just depends on how much time I have!