Making Fresh Butter from Heavy Cream
This process turns liquid cream into solid fat and thin, tangy liquid. It is the most direct way to understand the structure of dairy.
Temperature is the only variable that matters.
Use cream straight from the refrigerator. If the cream is too warm, the butter will be soft and greasy, making it difficult to rinse out the buttermilk properly.
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Large fine-mesh strainer
- Rubber spatula
- Bowl of ice water
What goes in.
- 1 quartheavy whipping cream (at least 36% fat)
- 1/4 tspfine sea salt (optional)
Removing the Buttermilk
You must rinse the butter until the water runs clear. Residual buttermilk will cause the butter to spoil within days.
The method.
Whisk the cream
Pour the cream into the mixer bowl. Turn to medium-high speed. It will first turn to whipped cream, then thicken into a grainy, stiff mass.
Watch for the break
Continue mixing until the yellow fat separates completely from the thin, watery liquid. Stop the mixer immediately when you see the splash of buttermilk.
Strain
Pour the contents through a strainer, catching the butter solids. Save the liquid, which is fresh buttermilk, for baking.
Rinse and press
Place the butter in a bowl of ice water. Using the spatula, press and fold the butter against the sides of the bowl to squeeze out hidden pockets of buttermilk. Change the water and repeat until the water stays clear.
Finish
Drain all water, fold in salt if using, and shape into a log using parchment paper.
Other turns to take.
Herb Butter
Fold finely minced chives, parsley, or crushed garlic into the finished butter before shaping.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Place a splash guard or a kitchen towel over the mixer, as the buttermilk will spray when it separates.
Use your hands for the final kneading if the butter is firm enough; it helps you feel for any remaining soft pockets of liquid.
Keep the butter cold; if it gets too soft during kneading, put the bowl in the freezer for two minutes.
The ones that keep coming up.
How long will this stay fresh?
If properly rinsed, it lasts two weeks in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.
Does it matter if the cream is ultra-pasteurized?
It works, but standard pasteurized cream generally develops a cleaner, fresher flavor.
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