BUTTER 101.

i recently purchased this book on a whim due to an interest in making my own cheese. i am happy to report that i am quite pleased with my impulsive purchase. the book is full of tips for a successful home kitchen creamery and easy homemade recipes for butter, yogurt, sour cream, creme fraiche, cheese and more. now i just need a cow.

after getting my hands on some fresh, thick, whole cream from a local farm i had the joy of flipping through the pages of dairy products and deciding just what to do with it. we decided to start simple and make homemade butter. and of course we made it a family affair so we skipped the quicker method of using a food processor or immersion blender and went straight to the mason jars...

HOMEMADE BUTTER

you will need:

1 pint of good whole cream
sea salt
mason jar/jars and sealing lids
wooden spoon or butter paddle
strainer
small bowl
large bowl

be sure that you are working with cold cream. at least 60 degrees. pour one cup (in our case a little less) into jars. screw lids of jars on tightly and shake like crazy for 20 minutes or so until you see the butterfat become a solid and separate from the butter milk. open jars and strain your butter saving the buttermilk for later use. return butter back to jar. "rinse your butter" by adding a bit of cold water and shake again. strain and repeat until water runs clear. transfer butter to a wooden board or bowl and paddle your butter spoon to remove excess liquid. mix in salt to taste. date and store butter in the refrigerator for two to three weeks.

homemade butter tastes like heaven. i think we are going to make this a regular thing in our home but leave the churning to a mixer rather than our tired arms. i am looking forward to making another batch with some fresh herbs and maybe investing in some fancy salts to make a few different variations. now what to do with that buttermilk that is sitting in our fridge? maybe some homemade buttermilk pancakes in the morning.