Happy Thanksgiving! I am taking a break from my usual topics this week to share one of my favorite holiday traditions, making homemade butter. Time in the kitchen with family counts as self-care to me! It’s easier than it sounds, will get you in touch with your primitive roots and you will be a rock star at the next family gathering. Grab a mixer and some heavy whipping cream.
My daughter and I make this homemade butter every Thanksgiving.
Disclaimer: I have been doing this tradition for years, and last year was the first time it did not work. I don’t know if it was the cream I bought or I didn’t keep things cold enough. It just never firmed up! Usually, this technique is fool-proof. The key is to use good quality cream and start with a cold bowl.
- Chill the bowl for your hand or stand mixer for about an hour in the freezer
- Add 2 cups heavy whipping cream and start mixing
- First, you’ll get whipped cream
- After 7-10 minutes it will start to look like spackling compound, keep going!!
- Soon, liquid will start to fly out and separate from the solids. The solid part is your beautiful homemade butter, the liquid is buttermilk which you can save and use in pancakes. You will get about 1 cup of delicious, yellow butter from 2 C cream.
- When the liquids and solids are separated, squeeze the rest of the liquid out of the butter using cheesecloth or a kitchen towel until all of the liquid is out.
- Finally, mix in herbs, salt or garlic, roll into small balls or a log, or if you are really ambitious chill it, roll flat and use a holiday cookie cutter to make a shape.
- Enjoy! You are going to love it. Homemade butter lasts about a week in the fridge, but don’t worry, it won’t be around that long.
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Michelle
I first got the idea to make homemade butter from the 614 magazine in Columbus, Ohio.
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Michelle Risser 