How to Make Butter

Homemade butter is incredibly easy to make. All you need to make butter is heavy cream and turbulence. There are multiple methods of making butter and people have been doing it for thousands of years. We used to use our vintage churn from the 1920s which is sadly on its last legs. Theses days, we’ve been making butter with our Churncraft prototype!

What you need

2 quarts heavy cream or whipping cream
1 tsp. sea salt (optional)

A few hours prior to churning, leave the cream out on the counter. The ideal temperature for churning butter is around 60-65 F. If the cream is too cold, it is harder for the fat globules to stick together, and if it is too warm the butter will be a little too soft and gloopy.

Pour the cream into the glass jar of the churn. Screw on lid. Churn for 10 – 15 minutes, until the buttermilk and butter have separated into two distinct parts. Pour the buttermilk into a jar or pitcher using a sieve. Be sure to save your buttermilk for other recipes!

Now it is time to rinse your butter. Add several cups of ice cold water to your glass churn. With a spoon, paddle or even your hands, squeeze and press the buttermilk out of the butter. Pour out the cloudy water and rinse again. Place the butter in a bowl, mix in the sea salt and enjoy your fresh, homemade butter!

Do not skip this step – if there is buttermilk still in the butter, the shelf life is shorter. Pure butter can last for approximately two to three weeks. If there is buttermilk left in it, it will only stay good for 2-3 days.

At this point your butter has a lovely, soft texture. It is the perfect time to make compound or flavored butter. Churncraft has lots of delicious recipes for sweet and savory butters! 

Butter Storage

There are many ways to store your butter. You can use a variety of containers; butter bells, ceramic ramekins, airtight tupperware, glass custard cups or Pyrex. You must seal it well so it does not take on the other odors in your refrigerator. You can also wrap your butter in parchment paper, wax paper or plastic wrap. Be sure to wrap tightly.

If you are not going to consume your butter in the next week, it is best to store in the freezer. Butter can last up to several months in a freezer.