How Do You Make the Perfect Butter?

Making butter is easy. Making perfect butter takes a few more minutes.

Most of us learned way back in kindergarten that you make butter by shaking cream. True, but how do you make perfect, delicious butter - easily?

Most people prefer cultured butter to sweet-cream butter and to me, only cultured butter could be in the category of perfect. So I always start with cream which I have soured naturally, or added a bit of clabber to it the day before. I still prefer shaking it in a jar over using any other type of churn or mixer. I have better things to do than wash contraptions. I use a canning jar with metal lid and ring for the whole process, beginning to end. Now clean-up is easy!

Tips for making perfect, delicious butter from your raw cream:

• Use cream that is thick with culture.
• Use cream that is at room temperature. (Not too cold, not too warm)
• Make sure your jar has at least an equal amount of empty space as cream. (only fill jar 1/2 way)
• Shake til you have a fairly solid mass of butter floating in the buttermilk.
• Slide the metal lid slightly off to hold the butter as you pour off your buttermilk for use later.
• Add COLD tap water to cover the butter.
• Hold the lid (skip the ring for this) and shake.
• Turn the jar upside down over your sink. The butter floats, so now you can slide the lid to release the water.
• Fill with COLD water and shake again.
• Keep pouring in more water and shaking until the water is no longer milky.
• You can't get it too clean. Wash it well!
• Use a dinner knife to work the butter IN THE JAR (no point in dirtying more dishes).
• Press, don't smear.
• Work over the sink and keep dumping out the water as you press.
• Press and fold butter until it is a nice doughy consistancy.
• Sprinkle in salt and work a few more times.

You can just store it right in the jar. Now all you have to wash is the dinner knife!

Simple, delicious and perfect butter. No fuss, no muss. Easy enough to make fresh daily.

Blog: Feeding your family on 2 acres