Making Butter

A couple of weekends ago, I made a fresh loaf of bread while my D&D group was here. The one guy who is a big bread-aholic asked if he could have some, and I said of course. He proclaimed it good (yay!) and asked me when I was going to start making my own butter, because the fresh bread with fresh butter would be Nerdvana. I assured him that I would keep that in mind.

Weirdly, I'd been considering making my own butter for a little while. I probably had an article about it laying around, which might be what prompted the question. Or perhaps they're just getting used to me making things that "normal" people buy in the store. Either way, it got me to finally make the leap into my own butter.

I did a brief search online for butter churns, and after pricing them between $150 and $300, I decided that I could probably do without. Technically, I have a tall dasher churn, but it's a family heirloom that hasn't seen cream in at least 50 years, and there's no way I'd use it for making butter, both for the sake of anyone eating the butter and for the integrity of the antique.

Turns out, if you're not trying to go "off the grid" or avoid electricity, you can make butter in a KitchenAid stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or even in a food processor. And if you are trying to go without electricity, or find yourself in a situation where you have cream, no butter, and no electricity, you can use a mason jar with a tight-sealing lid and shake it, it just takes a while. Good way to pass the time while you're watching TV, unless you have no electricity, and then it's a good way to pass the time while you're, uh...singing campfire songs?

For sweet cream butter, you can use pasturized heavy whipping cream (yes, like you get in the Dairy case) or sweet raw cream. Make sure all your utensils are crazy clean and sterile, then pour the cream into your mixing bowl, food processor, or jar. Then beat/shake. Cream goes through three stages as it progresses into butter; first, you end up with a fluffy white concoction you will probably recognize as whipped cream. Next, it becomes slightly yellow and granular; if you've ever overbeaten your whipped cream, you will be familiar with the sight. If not, it looks like slightly lumpy frosting. Finally, it will "break" and become butter sloshing around in buttermilk. It's really quite amazing, seeing the solid fluffy mass suddenly contain a liquid component!

Butter "breaks" fastest between about 50 and 60 degrees, and the cultured breaks faster than the sweet, but it will eventually get there even if the temperature is not optimal or if you're using pasturized cream.

Beat thoroughly until the butter clumps up. In a mixer or food processor, it will stick together rather like dough. When it's all clumped, strain off the buttermilk and save it for your favorite recipe requiring buttermilk; it's much better than the "cultured" faux buttermilk you can buy in the dairy section. After it's strained, use a wooden spoon or even your clean fingers to press the butter together and against the side of the bowl, squishing out as much buttermilk as possible. When you can squeeze out no more buttermilk, rinse the butter with cold, clear water. Fold the butter over on itself and "work" it with wooden spoons or your fingers. Drain, repeat with more cold water washings until the water runs clear.

When the butter is clean and rinsed, be sure to press out as much water as possible with the spoon or your fingers. If you wish, add a very, very tiny amount of salt at this point. If you want a flavored butter, use a Tablespoon of rosewater in the final rinsewater for sweet butter for baked goods, or use salted water in which a sprig of rosemary has been boiled for a savory butter to go with meats and breads.

If you want to get all fancy-pants, you can buy butter molds and press your new butter into them. You could also use small candy molds or even cookie cutters to shape your butter. Or you can squadge it into a bowl like I do. Whatever works. Refrigerate.

Now, for a more flavorful, cultured butter, you either have to start with raw cream (unpasteurized), or add back in a culture starter. If you have access to raw cream, allow it to age in the fridge for a couple of days to a week. It should smell sweet and slightly nutty, never foul or sour. If it curdles or smells bad, throw it out. Otherwise, beat into butter as above.

If you start with pasturized heavy cream, add a starter. You can buy a commercial starter for creme fraiche or butter making; check Google for sources. If you go this route, follow the directions. Or, you can use a Tablespoon full of commercial sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt...just be sure to check for "live cultures". To strengthen commercial cultures, leave out, covered or preferably still sealed as purchased, at room temperature for 8-12 hours before beginning your buttermaking. Add a Tablespoonful per cup of cream, mix well, then cover and allow the cream to age in the refrigerator for a couple of days to a week or more. Same caveat as above; if the cream smells bad or curdles, throw it out and start again. After your cream is aged, beat into butter as above.

Now. Imagine how great shortbread recipes would be with fresh butter. Or how good hot, freshly baked bread would be with homemade butter. Melted on freshly grown corn. Mmm.