Churning Butter

This one started the other day when I was visiting my good friend Bethany.  We were talking about some of my current and upcoming projects and said she was really curious about making butter.  Honestly, it was kind of far down my list, as the ingredient list on most butters is cream and salt.  Of course, in most cases, one never knows what those cows were fed or injected with or whatever.  I remembered that in kindergarten we just put cream in a mason jar and shook.  Bethany said she'd used a churn in girl scouts.  Then I looked it up on the Internet (raise your hand if you're surprised).  Did you know it only takes heavy cream, a food processor and 3 minutes to make butter? And you feel a sense of accomplishment, having made it yourself.  I may never buy it again. 

I started with chilled heavy cream from the springhouse (guaranteed hormone free!)

It was just the little container, but it made a slightly larger than store bought stick and exactly filled my food processor exactly to the liquid line.

I filled my food processor and turned it on.  If you don't have a food processor, shaking a mason jar will work, but it'll take longer.  A lot longer. 

The whole process took less than 3 minutes in my food processor, so don't go anywhere.  When it starts to get little butter chunks in it, add any herbs, salt, cinnamon & honey, you please. 

You'll know its done when all of it forms one or two big balls.  Mine just all camped out in one big hunk. 

 

Pour off any excess water, and dump it out onto a double or triple thickness stack of paper towels. 

Squeeze every last drop of liquid off.  The more liquid, the more likely it is to spoil. 

Put it in a tub or on some plastic wrap or wax paper and package it up.  Chill & enjoy!