Keep whipping cream and at some point the grains come together into lumps of butter and the buttermilk separates out. Most people see this stage by accident and think they have ruined the cream; in fact they have made butter. The washing step matters, because any buttermilk left behind turns the butter sour quickly.
Ingredients
For the butter
For washing
Method
-
Whip the cream
Whip the cold cream with a mixer. It will turn to whipped cream first; keep going.
-
Wait for it to separate
After 8 to 10 minutes the mixture turns grainy and separates into yellow lumps of butter and white buttermilk.
-
Strain
Pour through a sieve and keep the buttermilk in a separate bowl. Do not throw it away, as it is useful in baking.
-
Wash it
Wash the lumps of butter in iced water 3 times, until the water runs clear. Buttermilk left behind turns the butter sour.
-
Press out the water
Press the butter with a spatula to work out the water trapped inside.
-
Salt it
Mix in the salt if you want it.
-
Shape it
Roll it up in greaseproof paper and leave it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
Tips
- The cream must be cold; warm cream gives no butter, only foam.
- Do not skip the washing step; buttermilk left behind sours the butter within three days.
- Do not throw away the buttermilk, as it works in place of milk in pancakes and bread dough.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.