Making Fresh Butter

How to make Fresh Butter

Step one:

Start by pouring one gallon of milk (fresh from the cow) into a clean container. Chill the milk quickly and keep it in the regrigerator over night. Then skim the cream off the top of the milk with a spoon. Next pour the cream into a butter churn or a jar, cap the container tightly.

Step Two:

It is important that you only fill your churn or jar 1/3 full. The empty 2/3 of the churn or jar allows the cream to expand as you churn or shake it......and also allows the thick fluid to splash against the walls of the container more violently when it is churned or shake. (This splashing is what turns the cream into butter. The length of time will depend on the temperature and how hard you churn or shake the cream. Usually about 15 to 30 min. Keep churning or shaking until the mass of cream will turn pale yellow, and becomes firm and separate from the milk.

Step Three:

Put the butter in a butter press or a cereal bowl. The size will depend of how much butter that you have. Press the butter into the butter press with a butter paddle or with very clean hands, work the butter around the sides of the bowl and tip it to one side to let the water run out.

After you've worked the water out of the butter, and the mass has become fairly firm, sprinkle some salt over it. (About 1/2 tsp of salt per pound of butter). Work the salt in, turn the butter over, and work it in some more. Taste the butter, and if necessary add more salt.

You now have creamy handmade butter spread, put in to a covered container, place the buttermilk in a capped jar or bottle, and store both containers in the refrigerator until needed. (The buttermilk is the liquid that is left over after you have gotten your solid mass of better. Alice May Hunt (my fathers mother)