How to Make Butter
Butter is a key ingredient in the kitchen for many home cooks and professional chefs alike and is often seen as a flavor enhancer for any meal. Whether used in cooking, baking, or even spreading on toast, butter comes in various flavors and forms, but not all butter is created equal. Find different ways to make your delicious butter at home. Using a mason jar is the easiest method to make homemade butter, and the biggest advantage is that it does not require any special equipment. Pour whipped cream or heavy cream into the Mason jar, close the lid, and start shaking. As you shake, the cream begins to thicken into whipped cream. Continue stirring until the cream is crumbly and there is a clear separation between the hard butter and the flowing buttermilk. Drain off excess liquid, then rinse butter under running water to remove excess buttermilk.
Using a food processor or mixer is much faster than shaking the cream yourself. Instead of shaking the bottle, you can also use kitchen tools to do the job. Pour the cream into the bowl of a metal-bladed food processor or stand mixer. If you have a hand mixer, pour the cream into a large bowl. The cream is then processed or whipped until the butter and buttermilk are entirely separated. If using a food processor, you may need to stop processing and scrape the sides of the bowl several times to separate the liquids from the solids completely. After separation, drain the liquid buttermilk and rinse the butter under running water.
For each method, you should start with at least 1-1.5 cups of heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Homemade butter is a great way to utilize leftover ingredients, but with a bit of cream, you will not make much butter, no matter how hard you try. And if you decide to use a food processor or mixer, it will be challenging to mix small amounts. The type of cream you use initially also affects how much butter is left at the end. Heavy cream usually contains more fat than whipped cream, and more fat means more butter.