Making butter with fresh, unpasteurized milk is a fun way to start making dairy products at home. Let the cream come to the surface of the milk and then transfer it to a glass jar. Decide if you want to add a bacteria culture to give the butter a sour aftertaste. Let the cream mature for several hours before whisking it. Next, separate the solid butter from the buttermilk and then wash it thoroughly before processing and storing.
Ingrediants
- 2 liters of fresh, unpasteurized milk
- 7-15ml buttermilk if you want to add a bacteria culture to the butter
Yield: about 110 g of butter
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Releasing and Ripening the Cream
Step 1. Chill fresh milk in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours
Place it in a glass jar with a wide mouth and lid. You need to let the milk cool in the refrigerator for a day or two before you can make the butter. During this time, the cream will slowly rise to the surface.
- Do an internet search to find out where you can find fresh unpasteurized milk in the area where you live.
- Remember that it is better to use a jar with a wide mouth to be able to pick up the cream with a spoon without too much difficulty.
Step 2. Sterilize a ladle and one liter glass jar (including lid)
When you are ready to take the cream that has surfaced on the surface of the fresh milk, sterilize all the tools you are about to use by immersing them in a pot full of boiling water. Wait for the water to boil again and let the utensils boil for 10 minutes. Then turn off the stove and carefully remove them from the water.
If you prefer, you can wash the utensils in the dishwasher at very high temperatures
Step 3. Use the ladle to remove the cream that has surfaced on the surface of the milk
Take the fresh milk out of the refrigerator. Very gently dip the ladle into the cream and transfer it to a liquid dispenser made of glass. Continue like this until you have all the cream available.
Milk produced in winter contains slightly less cream than milk produced by cows in summer. On average, you should be able to get between 230 and 480ml of cream
Step 4. Add buttermilk if you want to use a bacteria culture
If you want the butter to have a slightly sour aftertaste, use half a tablespoon (7 ml) of buttermilk for every 240 ml of cream.
- If you prefer the classic version of butter, don't use buttermilk.
- To give an example, if you have obtained 480 ml of cream from fresh milk, you need to add 1 tablespoon of buttermilk.
Step 5. Transfer the cream to the sterilized glass jar
Slowly pour it into the one-liter jar and then cap it with the clean lid.
Don't worry if the glass is still hot from sterilization. Since the cream is cold you will help it to cool down
Step 6. Let the cream mature for between 5 and 12 hours
Place the jar in a waterproof cooler bag. Add hot water so the jar is half submerged. Let the cream reach 24 ° C.
- Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature or touch the jar to see if the cream has warmed up.
- If you haven't added buttermilk, the cream will need to mature for about 12 hours. With the culture of bacteria, however, about 5 hours will be enough.
Step 7. Cool the jar using ice
Fill a bowl halfway with water and ice cubes and place the jar in it. Let the cream cool for 5-10 minutes. Wait for the cream to feel cool to the touch. You will need the ice water again later, so save it.
- The cream must reach a temperature between 10 and 15 ° C.
- Cooling the cream helps the butter making process that is about to begin.
Part 2 of 3: Beat the Cream and Drain the Butter
Step 1. Shake the jar for 5-12 minutes
Make sure the lid is screwed on tightly and whisk the cream vigorously until it begins to thicken. You must see that the butter begins to form on the walls of the jar.
If you want, you can use a food processor. Mount the whisk you need to knead and pour the cream into the mixer. Start by mixing the cream on low speed, then gradually increase the pace until the butter separates from the buttermilk
Step 2. Line the colander with a muslin cloth and place it on a bowl
When you're ready to separate the butter from the buttermilk, line a fine-mesh colander with a muslin cloth and place it on a bowl.
- The muslin cloth will filter out even the very small pieces of butter.
- If you can't find muslin, you can use several layers of overlapping gauze.
Step 3. Pour the contents of the jar into the colander
Remove the lid and slowly pour both the liquid and solid parts into the colander lined with the muslin cloth. The buttermilk will run into the bowl while the butter will remain in the colander.
Use buttermilk to make cottage cheese or baked goods at home, such as a cake, cookies, or pancakes
Step 4. Leave the butter in the muslin cloth and wash it in ice water
Join the edges of the cloth with the butter in the center. Maintain a gravy hold on the cloth as you dip the butter into the ice water left over earlier. Move it back and forth in the water for about 30 seconds.
The water will become cloudy as the solid residues of the milk detach from the butter
Step 5. Make clean ice water and wash the butter again
When the water has become cloudy, throw it down the sink drain and replace it with clean one. Continue rinsing the butter in ice water and replacing it until it remains transparent.
Keep washing the butter until the water turns cloudy. It is important to get rid of all solid milk residues to prevent the butter from turning rancid
Part 3 of 3: Processing and Storing the Butter
Step 1. Work the butter with a wooden spoon
Open the muslin cloth and place the butter in a small bowl. Now take a wooden spoon and work the butter by spreading it back and forth along the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Step 2. Drain and knead the butter until it has lost all the whey
As you work it, it will release a few drops of liquid that will accumulate at the bottom of the bowl. Tilt it from time to time to empty the serum.
Keep working the butter until it has released all the liquids
Step 3. Flavor the butter if desired
If you want to make salted butter or give it a particular taste, add half a teaspoon (2 g) of salt, herbs or spices. Distribute the aromas by stirring and then taste. If necessary, add more. Try using one of these ingredients:
- Chives;
- Zest of orange, lemon or lime;
- Thyme or rosemary;
- Garlic or ginger
- Parsley;
- Honey.
Step 4. Store the butter in an airtight container and use within 3 weeks
Transfer it to a small food container with a lid. Keep the butter in the refrigerator and use it within three weeks.
- If you want, you can freeze it to last up to 6-12 months.
- If you haven't washed away all the solid residues from the milk, the butter will only keep fresh for a few days.
