Making Butter

Yesterday I made butter for the first time. It was quick, easy, and tastes unbelievable!

I think the key is starting with good quality, fresh, RAW milk. Here in Northwest Indiana I have access to raw milk for $2 a gallon. Compare that to the dead stuff you buy at the store for $3.70+ a gallon.

Still questioning the safety of raw milk? Read this article, and this one. Read this article for the benefits of raw milk. Wondering what's wrong with pasteurized and homogenized milk from the store? Just click the links..

Back to making butter...

I started with 4 gallons of raw milk. When raw milk is refrigerated for 12+ hours, the cream rises to the top. Using a ladle, I skimmed the cream off the top of the chilled milk.

Making butter is simple and easy. You can churn the butter from cream in a blender, food processor, or mixer (I used my Kitchen Aid), therefore my instructions will be for the mixer..

Directions:

Start by pouring cream into the bowl of a standing mixer. I started with 2 quarts of cream. Start the mixer with the whisk attachment on low speed (to avoid splatter) and progress to medium speed as the liquid begins to thicken. Increase the speed to medium-high or high (if the cream allows that without splattering). Continue mixing at this speed until the buttermilk (looks watery) separates from the butter (light yellow, or white clumps).

The butter should then be washed to remove as much of the butter milk as possible. Remove the butter from the butter milk, and place it in a bowl with cold water. Using your hands, form the butter into a ball, squeezing gently to remove buttermilk. You may salt your butter at this stage (to taste). Dip frequently into the cold water to keep it cold. Continue until butter milk is all squeezed out. Not washing the butter will result in butter that my go rancid because of the butter milk.

The butter can be then be wrapped and frozen or refrigerated for storage.