Butter Making 101

Another comprehensive guide by MFRE

The first time we ate home-made Dutch oven bread with real sweet cream butter is a memory we will cherish for all of eternity. The flavors as they danced around in our mouths had such an effect that can only described as “organic” or “real”. The product that we had purchased from the grocery store in the past boasted a label proclaiming that it was “butter”, but we now had knowledge that proved that proclamation to be a hoax. It is truly amazing how far our society has ventured from reality over such a short period of time. If indeed this product boasting the butter label were to be purchased by someone from our not so distant past, we feel quite confident that an argument would soon be ensued as to the validity of this claim. Raw, unprocessed butter is the stuff dreams are made of.
Start by reserving the cream from your milk. Allow the milk to separate overnight under refrigeration. The cream will rise to the top and can be skimmed off with a ladle or spoon. Save up at least a quart of heavy cream. Sweet cream butter is made from fresh cream (within a few days old and refrigerated) and imparts a quite delicate flavor, while ripened cream is used to attain a more flavorful product.

Getting Started

It is virtually impossible to skim 100% cream off the top without getting a small amount of milk with it. That’s ok because the cream will again rise to the top leaving the unwanted milk at the bottom of the container. The milk won’t hurt anything as far as butter production is concerned, but must be removed before the butter is stored to avoid spoilage. The longer the cream sits atop the milk before the initial skimming, the less milk tends to get spooned off in the process. The picture above representing one quart of cream has an excessive amount of unwanted milk that has settled at the bottom, denoted by the color change in the bottom quarter of the jar. As with anything else, practice makes perfect and skimming milk is no exception.

Butter can be made using many different methods. Many styles of butter churns are commercially available, but butter can also be made in an electric mixer or even shaken in a half gallon or larger container. Whichever method is used, churn the cream until it turns to butter. If an electric mixer is used, turn it on a low setting and pay close attention toward the end of the process as the butter gets hard. If you are shaking the cream in a container, just shake it vigorously until you get butter. This process takes 30 to 45 minutes.

Time to work the liquid out of your butter.

Using a wooden paddle or the backside of a spoon, work all the liquid out of the butter. Hold the plate at a steep incline to facilitate removal of the liquid. Rinse the butter with water while working it until the water comes out clear. This will remove all the milk left in the butter which would otherwise cause it to spoil prematurely.

Store butter in refrigerator (if possible).

Pack butter into a wide mouth canning jar in lieu of a mold.

Mississippi Foundation for Renewable Energy & BackwoodsEnergy.org will not be held responsible for any mishaps incurred as a result of YOUR application of any instruction provided in this document. We strive to provide accurate, helpful information through our tutorials, ebooks, & printed documents, but cannot account for the way said information is applied. Please follow all standard safety precautions & be responsible. All information conveyed in any of our publications is to be applied “AT YOUR OWN RISK & DISCRETION”. Please be careful.

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Acorn Flour

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Learn how to make delicious, healthy acorn flour just as many early cultures did long ago. All you need is an oak tree of any variety to collect acorns from. Acorn flour imparts an earthy, organic flavor to bread, pastries, or any dish that regular flour is normally used for. From acorn dumplings to pie crust & loafs of bread, baking with acorn flour sets the stage for a truly natural, superb culinary experience. This is an activity for the whole family to do around the camp fire, or by yourself for a fun adventure.
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Butter Making 101

Learn how to make butter at home with minimal or no special equipment.