Homemade Butter (2024)

FAQs

Do I have to rinse homemade butter? ›

Rinse the Butter

The final butter may have some lactose and milk proteins remaining in the liquid and if this is allowed to ferment, the butter may become rancid in a short time. The washing and folding is what removes most of this.

When using packaged cream, it is very important to use heavy cream with at least 35% to 50% milkfat. Please DO NOT USE low-fat cream, cooking cream or light cream that has less than 35% milkfat; you won't get butter no matter how much you whip these because there just isn't enough fat.

Whipped cream will turn into a heavy grainy mass. Small yellowish clumps of butter will start to appear. Keep churning until you see two distinct substances in jar: thin white buttermilk and thick clumps of yellow butter. This should take around 8-10 minutes.

The best option would be fresh, raw cream from pastured Jersey cows. Milk from Jersey cows has the highest fat content, which is why they are primarily dairy cattle. In addition, the fat in their milk has larger globules in it which makes it perfect for churning butter.

Keep your craft butter in a cool, dry place: To keep your butter from spoiling, it's important to store it in a cool, dry place. Look for a spot in your kitchen away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and humidity. If you're looking for an even more precise temperature, aim for somewhere between 55–60°F.

In contrast, cows that are fed grains have considerably less or even no beta carotene stored in their fat, making their butter paler or even white.

Keep churning until you have one large chunk of butter (a few small floating pieces is OK). Once you have a large chunk of butter, stop churning! If you continue to mix you can actually separate your chunks again and ruin your butter.

“Any conditions which tend to harden the butter-fat will require a comparatively high churning temperature; and any conditions tending to soften the butter-fat will require a lowering of the churning temperature.”

How long does homemade butter last? Homemade butter has a shelf life of up to 2 – 3 weeks when kept in the fridge. You can also keep your homemade butter in the freezer for up to 9 months.

Heavy cream, whipping cream, or heavy whipping cream are all suitable choices for making homemade butter. Heavy cream, with the highest percentage of butterfat, will yield the most butter; lower-fat whipping cream will yield less.

Can you leave homemade butter on the counter? ›

Should You Leave Butter on the Counter? According to the USDA, butter is safe at room temperature. But if it's left out for several days at room temperature, it can turn rancid causing off flavors. The USDA does not recommend leaving it out more than one to two days.

Butter isn't that expensive — it's about $3 per pound at the wholesale level. Cream costs roughly $3.50 for 16 ounces, or less if you buy a larger carton. That means the price of making your own butter isn't much more than buying it in the store, and often you can get organic cream cheaper than organic butter.

How long does homemade butter last? Homemade butter has a shelf life of up to 2 – 3 weeks when kept in the fridge. You can also keep your homemade butter in the freezer for up to 9 months.

This is the simplest method for making homemade butter, and the biggest perk is that it doesn't require any special equipment. Just pour heavy cream or heavy whipping cream into a Mason jar, screw on the lid, and start shaking.