Basic Butter Recipe

How to make butter at home.

Collect 1 to 1 1/2 qts. heavy cream from separator (or buy it at the store, in which case omit pasteurizing step. Pasteurize it in an electric pasteurizer or by the flash method ( heat it until it begins to rise in the pan, remove from the heat, let the cream settle, and repeat 2 more times.) Cool the cream by setting the pan in cold water. Pour into a glass jar, cover and store several days in the refrigerator. Cream must be at least 24 hours old to churn well. Use cream with at least 30 percent butter fat. (You can buy heavy cream at most markets.)

Ripen the cream by letting it stand at room temperature from 4-6 hours. It will thicken and become mildly sour. This procedure helps give the butter a mild, good taste.

Cool cream again in the refrigerator. Pour cream into larger bowl of the electric mixer. Use no more than 1 1/2 qts. cream to prevent spattering. Add a few drops of butter color if desired. Beat at high speed until flecks of butter begin to form. Then turn to low speed until butter separates from milk. Watch to keep spattering to a minimum. Push down the sides of the bowl with spatula as cream whips.

Pour off the buttermilk. Add cold water, about as much as there was buttermilk. Let beater run at lowest speed. Pour off water; repeat.

Add a scant tablespoon of salt. Let beater mix it into butter. Remove beaters, scrape off butter with spatula by pressing butter against side of the bowl. Be sure to work out all of the water.

Mold butter in a butter press or empty container with tightly fitting lid. Store in refrigerator, or freeze for longer periods of time.

One quart cream makes about 1 pound butter, although it depends on how heavy the cream is.