So, I went down to the farmer's market today, hoping that TODAY was the day the butter would be back. Um. No. Apparently the sissy-pants cows don't like all this heat, and aren't producing enough milk for my source to feed his family milk, make his own butter, AND bring me mine.
I knew this was a distinct possibility, so I was fully prepared to start skimming so I could make my own. fyi, this is also how I've been getting my cream for ice cream making. It's great, but you only get between 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup per bottle. For some odd reason, it is very difficult to find packaged local cream.
Then today I saw THIS. (And this is the only size available.)
So I made this. Oh. my.
If you've never made your own butter before, DO IT. It's amazingly easy, and takes less than 10 minutes. Well, if you have a standing mixer that is.
Dump a couple of cups of room temperature whipping cream into the mixer's bowl. Add a generous amount of salt if you want, or don't. With the whisk attachment, turn on high. Yes, it's EXACTLY like making whipped cream. But you are going to beat it until the cream turns yellow and "breaks." Meaning, you will see yellow butter, and whitish milk (buttermilk). Butter is really just over-beaten whipped cream.
When it is breaking, switch to the paddle attachment and clean out the whisk. Paddle it for a minute or two, then press the butter together with a rubber spatula on the side of the bowl and pour off the buttermilk to reserve.
Pour about 1 cup super cold water into the butter bowl, and paddle for another minute. Drain and discard murky water, and repeat rinsing process until water is clear. About 2 more times.
There you have it! Shape and refrigerate. Enjoy!
wow--this is seriously inspiring. I had never thought about using a mixer--just had images of pilgrims churning it themselves. I am going to give it a try.
Posted by: Sachi | June 27, 2009 at 09:56 PM
way better than the shake-it-in-a-jar method we used on pioneer day. :)
Posted by: erin | June 28, 2009 at 10:36 AM
This is on my list! I don't know what has taken me so long, except that I can get local butter pretty easily. I don't know much about the cows it comes from, though, so it would be nice to make my own from the cream I can get.
Posted by: heather jane | June 29, 2009 at 10:36 AM
oh butter! there's nothing like homemade butter.
Posted by: cloth.paper.string | July 01, 2009 at 02:59 PM
I cannot believe how easy this is. I believe I may be making butter this weekend!
Posted by: laughingfamily | July 02, 2009 at 06:39 PM
I did it! I made butter. I loved seeing the process so very much. I can't believe how much I'm learning about food through this challenge. Thanks for the encouragement!
Posted by: heather jane | July 25, 2009 at 07:31 PM
oh dear. Now I definitely need to buy the KitchenAid don't I. We get through crazy amounts of butter with all the baking in this house.
Posted by: Charlotte | January 01, 2012 at 02:51 PM