How to Make Butter at Home

Image Gallery We all know and love real butter, but did you know this familiar food is easy to make at home? Istock/Linda & Colin McKie

Bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver frequently writes about food, and in her essay Lily's Chickens she writes that she has become captivated by the alchemy of making butter and cheese. But while cheese is an art, Kingsolver writes, butter is a sport.

It's hard to disagree. Not only does making butter involve a certain amount of physical effort (unless you use a blender) but the whole process is pretty straightforward. In fact, because making butter is so simple, it makes a great project for kids ? or adults. It's a fast and easy process that lets you see for yourself where this basic and familiar food comes from.

The Basic Process

To make butter, first start with a simple ingredient, heavy cream. You can buy whipping cream at the grocery store, although if you live in a part of the country where you can get fresh cream from a dairy, so much the better.

Next, stir up the cream so that the butterfat globules begin to separate from the liquid. One of the simplest ways to do this is to get a canning jar with a sturdy lid and fill it about one-third full of cream. Then simply shake the jar until you feel and see the butter separate. When that happens, there's a sudden and noticeable difference in the consistency. That's the time to stop shaking.

Now separate the butter from the buttermilk by straining it. A colander or piece of cheesecloth may be helpful for this task. Rinse the butter with cold water, gently turning the butter with a spoon while the cold water runs over it until the water runs clear. Then mix in a little bit of salt, to taste ? or leave the butter unsalted if you prefer. Put the butter in the refrigerator. Let it chill, and then it's ready to eat!