I’m here to tell you all aboutHow to Make Butter at Home-no cow required (although having cows is really fun!) You only need 2 things: cream and a mason jar!

Most people are completely shocked when I mention making homemade butter.Can you remember making butter as a child in school? I was so excited when it was my turn to shake the mason jar and so in awe that making butter was so easy.

Making homemade butter is a great way to use up cream. Sometimes recipes only call for 1-2 tablespoons of cream, so you are left with a whole lot in the carton.Now, you can turn that leftover cream into butter.(And, as an added bonus, you’ll have buttermilk afterward to make yummy things likebiscuits,waffles, andpancakes.)

picture of fresh butter in a sieve with a jar of buttermilk underneath

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Homemade Freshness: You know the old saying “everything tastes better when it’s homemade” and that’s definitely true for butter. Freshly churned butter is heavenly.
Fun and Educational: The process of making butter is not only fun but also educational, especially for kids. It’s a great way to learn about the science of food and traditional methods of food preparation.
Economical:Using up leftover cream to make butter is a great way to stretch your budget a little further and keep yourself from throwing groceries away.

Ingredients

Heavy Whipping Cream or Raw Fresh Cream:make sure your packaging says whipping cream.Half & half and table cream don’t have enough fat content to turn into butter.
Quart Mason Jar with Lid
Salt,optional

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities

mason jar on its side with buttermilk and butter inside

How to Make Butter

Step #1.Add cream to the mason jar so it is between 1/4 and 3/4 full. Screw the lid on tightly. Start shaking! Continue shaking until the cream “breaks” and you have clumps of butter floating in buttermilk. (Around 15 minutes.)

Step #3.Pick up the butter from the strainer and form it into a ball. Shape and work your butter under cold running water to get all the remaining buttermilk out. If using salt, mix it in now.

Step #2.Once it has reached that point, place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and then pour the contents of the jar into the strainer. Save the buttermilk in the bowl in the refrigerator.

Step #4.The butter is now ready to use. Store in at room temperature for a couple of days or put it in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze it for later use.

Recipe FAQs

Does homemade butter have to be refrigerated?

Homemade butter is best when used within a few days. However, if refrigerated it will last 7-10 days.

What is the best cream to use to make butter?

In order to make butter at home you want a high quality heavy cream. Pick one that is not ultra-pasteurized, they don’t seem to work as well.

How long does it take to make butter in a jar?

Making butter takes about 10-15 minutes in total. After about 5 minutes of shaking the jar, whipped cream will form. Keep shaking until you hear a lump form inside the jar. You want to shake until the butter has formed a solid mass.

Do I need to rinse homemade butter once it is made?

I like to rinse the butter under cold water and remove any buttermilk from it. This will keep the butter fresher for longer. It’s easy, just hold the ball of butter in your hands under the water and squish it around a little bit. Put it on a bowl and fold it over on itself a few more times, you’ll see it release extra moisture.

Expert Tips

As you shake your cream, remember that it has to turn into whipped cream before it “breaks” and turns into butter.It’s all part of the process!
Also, keep that in mind if you’re ever whipping cream and accidentally whip it too much –if it breaks, you don’t have to throw it away! Just keep mixing until you get to butter.
If you want to make a flavored butter, wait to add your mix-insuntil you have rinsed and kneaded all the buttermilk out of the butter.

picture is of fresh butter in a sieve with buttermilk underneath and the words "how to make fresh butter" at the top

How to Freeze

One option to freeze butter is to put it into ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and place them in a freezer bag or container, then take out as needed.