Makes: 1 cup
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh heavy cream, not ultra-pasteurized
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
MASON JAR METHOD
Step 1: Ripen cream by placing it in a 1-quart Mason jar and letting it sit, lightly covered but not sealed, until it reaches room temperature. Cream can sit for up to 6 hours.
Step 2: Seal jar tightly. Shake vigorously until cream separates into 1 cup butter solids (a.k.a. curds) and 1 cup buttermilk. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. (Have an assistant nearby to relieve you!) Butter curds will be a lovely pastel yellow and resemble ricotta cheese.
Step 3: Pour off buttermilk into a separate bowl and save for another use, such as Herb Cheddar Biscuits
Step 4: Turn butter curds into a fine strainer lined with cheesecloth. Run cold water over curds while gently rubbing a spatula through them to rinse off all traces of buttermilk and water runs clear, about 3 minutes. This will keep butter from going rancid too quickly and bring out the sweetness of the curd -- the acid in buttermilk gives butter a sour taste. Curds will gradually come together as you work spatula through. Enshroud butter in cheesecloth and gently squeeze out excess moisture.
Step 5: Turn butter onto a plate or wide-mouth bowl and work spatula through it to force out more moisture. Pour off liquid as necessary. Taste and, if desired, add salt.
Step 6: Transfer to a glass container or roll in parchment or wax paper. Butter keeps in fridge for up to two weeks.
STAND MIXER METHOD
Step 1: Ripen cream by placing it in a 1-quart Mason jar and letting it sit, lightly covered but not sealed, until it reaches room temperature. Cream can sit for up to 6 hours.
Step 2: Pour ripened cream into a deep bowl of a stand mixer. If you have one, use a splash guard. Start whipping cream on low to minimize splatters, increasing speed as cream thickens. After about 6 or 7 minutes, cream will become very thick and have a pale yellow hue. This is close to the breaking point (or point of separation). Continue whipping until cream separates into curds and buttermilk.
Follow remaining steps as for the Mason Jar Method (above)
FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD
Step 1: Ripen cream by placing it in a 1-quart Mason jar and letting it sit, lightly covered but not sealed, until it reaches room temperature. Cream can sit for up to 6 hours.
Step 2: Pour ripened cream into bowl of a food processor fitted with chopping blade. Pulse until cream separates into solids and buttermilk. Pulse once or twice more to whip butter, if desired.
Follow remaining steps as for the Mason Jar Method (above)
Note:
Mixture comes out of food processor resembling butter almost instantly and with a greater separation of curd and buttermilk. This means remaining steps go faster.
Recipe Source: http://blogs.providencejournal.com/arts-entertainment/lifestyles/recipes/2010/12/recipe-homemade-butter-0.51075300.html