How to Make Butter - Homemade Butter Recipe

[shaynajewell]

The butter is washed to remove the remnants of buttermilk that are left behind. This is only important when making larger batches of butter that will not be eaten within a few days. When you're just making enough for a meal or two you don't need to worry about it.

[pundamilia]

I'm afraid I'll go blind if I follow this recipe.

[allwittyknitty]

Hi! I'm sure a ton of people have said this already, but if you fill a larger jar about half full and make several hard shakes rather than little agitations, you get done in less than 5min with a lot less effort (one hard shake, with all your might, making sure the cream hits the side of the jar as hard as possible, quarter turn, do it again). Also, you rinse the buttermilk off the butter to keep it from going rancid. Love your videos!

[cookinghungry]

Such an innocent voice yet such dirty jokes

[michaelandersen]

1) To clarify, cultured buttermilk is usually made by culturing milk, and no butter is actually produced in the process. Traditional buttermilk is the stuff that separates out when butter is made. The only reason that cultured buttermilk is called buttermilk is because it is slightly sour and made of milk, like buttermilk.

Both traditional and cultured buttermilk are useful for cooking and baking, but only cultured buttermilk is useful for making certain types of cheese, like cheddar or jack. (Cheeses that use a mesophilic starter culture, for those interested). I find that traditional buttermilk tastes pretty good straight, but I don't like cultured buttermilk straight.

Of course, it seems a little more complicated when you realize that there are cultured and sweet cream butters, but it isn't too bad.

So, sweet cream butter just means that no bacterial culture was added to the cream before the cream was turned to butter, and cultured butter had a bacterial culture added before being churned to butter, with some time between the culturing and churning to give the bacteria time to work. Both of these processes produce traditional buttermilk, not cultured buttermilk, even though traditional buttermilk from cultured butter will contain the bacteria used in culturing the cheese.

The term cultured buttermilk is reserved for milk that has had a culture added to it to sour it. Cultured buttermilk is to milk what sour cream is to cream. In fact, you can mix a little cultured buttermilk into cream and let it sit at room temperature for half a day or so to turn the cream into sour cream.

2) Washing the butter keeps the butter cold as you knead it with your warm hands. The process of kneading and washing removes more of the buttermilk, which develops acid over time and spoils the butter faster. So the washing step is primarily a mechanical food preservative. If you are using the butter fast enough, it probably isn't necessary. Kneading is also the time when salt is added, if one is making a salted butter.

[benb]

It takes about 60 seconds if the cream is at room temp. The colder the cream, the longer it takes. You're welcome.

[dewhicular]

LOL "you know what I'm talking about, when you use your Shake Weight!"

[salsasoul]

We made this in kindergarten when I was a kid. We just passed the jar around the classroom with each student shaking the jar. It was delicious. Amazing the things we remember. Awwww! Thanks, Chef John. You brought back a beautiful memory 💖

[mikekazz]

Got it, get a gallon bucket, and go to Lowe's or home Depot to use their paint mixer.

[MDIS]

The reason for washing the butter with cold iced water is to draw out the excess buttermilk. Basically use a ladle or a spoon etc to gently massage the butter in the cold water till the water is clear. This is done so as to prevent the butter from getting spoiled. But if you are gonna use the butter straight away, the cold water treatment is not necessary.

[DiscoCatsMeow]

I let the cream "ripen" to room temperature. I usually set it out in the morning and make it in the afternoon. It is much faster to seperate and I think it tastes better as well.

[lazyflame]

you wash out as much buttermilk as possible so the butter lasts longer and may help it taste better

[Ginissi]

omg i cant believe he made a masturbation joke. lol

[darkprose]

I think I watch Chef John for the fantastically funny voice delivery as much as the recipes.

[kdarwish]

washing the butter is required if you plan to keep the butter longer than a few days. washing removes any buttermilk thst has remained. to wash butter you simply ass cold water and squeeze the butter until the water runs clear....just like washing starch off rice ☺

[zenmama]

The only reason to 'wash' it is to remove any leftover buttermilk left in pockets... You can slice thru it a few times if you're that worried. I did because we did this process with a gallon at a time...
LOVE your sense of humor my friend... I'm a fan for life!!

[FishEver]

You have to wash the butter in wated or else it will spoil a lot faster since its drenched in buttermilk after shaking. :)

[sgarciabvr]

My 4th grade teacher had us do this (way) back in the day. Possibly because I grew up in Wisconsin? I've never forgotten-so fun!

[teresajudy]

Washing the Butter removes as much milk as possible.  Any remaining milk will mold and sour - ruining your butter. 

[Manistjarna]

When you wash the butter in cold water afterwards it's to get as much of the buttermilk out of your butter. It lasts longer because buttermilk makes your butter rancid that much quicker. Thanks for showing this, love it!