Homemade Butter

Some cow friends in the Snow

After visiting the York Farm Show in Pennsylvania last week, my Mom returned home with a cow calendar for me which is only fuel to the fire of my love of Bovine (cows).  On my list of winter time To Do's was to make my own butter.  I had been researching via Pinterest for a few days and decided on the way home from working out that today was the day.  Time to try my hand at making homemade butter! 

So I made a pit stop at the grocery store and picked up some heavy cream. 

On a Sad Note: I do not know of any dairy in the state that bottles their own milk or sells their own milk unless it is in cheese/yogurt form .  If anyone knows of a farm please comment! 

When I was living in Chicago on my weekly trip to the GreenCity Farmers' Market I would religiously purchase my milk from the dairy farm there.  I had such a farm crush on them! At WholeFoods you can get milk from a Pennsylvania dairy who bottle their own milk but it's just not the same.  I want to be able to go directly to source. 

But I digress...

Homemade Butter:

Supplies

Heavy Cream 

Sea Salt

Grab your food processor or blender and add heavy cream. Don't over fill the machine...I filled my food processor about 1/2 full.  Turn on low and let the magic happen.  You'll start to notice the cream thickening around 4 minutes of "churning."  At around 10 minutes the buttermilk will be separated from the milk fat a.k.a butter!

I scooped out the butter solids from the food processor and placed it in a strainer to let some of the remaining buttermilk drain.

  Then it's time to "wash" the butter in a medium bowl filled with ice cold water.  Press the butter against the sides of the bowl to force out any remaining milk. 

I replaced the water and repeated the process for a second time just to be sure it was "clean." 

Kneed in sea salt to taste at this point. 

There you have it....homemade butter.  Who knew it was that easy! 

And of coarse I immediately did a taste test...with the only thing I had around - a pretzel.  A random vessel I know but it served its purpose.  The butter didn't taste like regular butter...it tasted more like cream.  Less processed.  Really smooth.

I still can't get over how easy it was to make homemade butter! Now I just need to find a source for great milk and I'll be set! I just might have to take matters into my own hands one of these days....