Homemade Butter

We have been buying raw milk for a year or so and sometimes I will take the time to make my own butter. It is so easy, I really should do it more often.

The first time I made it I called two of my great-aunts to find out how to do it. Of course I had already looked it up online and had a game plan, but I thought it would be a good way to bond with my aunts. Neither of them remembered much about it except the churning part. Apparently "Mama" did all the rest. When I told them my plan they were shocked to think you could do it in a blender.

But before we get into the HOW, lets talk about the WHY? Just like anything else you want, you can purchase butter at the grocery store, and we are a busy bunch of people, and have no time for such things as churning butter. For heaven's sake, Dancing With the Stars is on and my three kids each play three different sports and I can't miss a single game or they will be scarred for life and turn into serial killers. Yeah, that's not me. 

Milk that comes from grass fed (pastured) cows is high in Omega 3s, and a rich source of vitamins A, E, D, and K. It is nutrient rich, containing trace minerals that are often deficient in a traditional diet, and is a healthy fat. Butter purchased at the store is almost always made from the milk of cows who have an almost exclusive diet of grains, mostly corn and soy which are genetically modified and sprayed heavily with pesticides. Store bought butter is high in Omega 6s which is linked to multiple health concerns. 

In addition to being grass fed, the milk we get is raw, meaning it hasn't been pasteurized. Pasteurization is where they heat the milk to kill bacteria. It not only kills bacteria, but also vitamins and enzymes. It is the enzymes in the milk that help us digest it. When the enzymes are destroyed our bodies have a hard time processing it. Many people who are lactose intolerant find they can digest raw milk with no problems. This is because the lactase (enzyme) in the milk helps us digest the lactose (protein). A lot of the vitamins are also destroyed. Then they add stuff to make it not smell bad and add fake vitamin D. 

But wait! Its not safe to drink if its not pasteurized. That is what we've been told, but its not actually true. For thousands of years people drank unpasteurized milk and lived to tell about it. It was only in the early 1900's when the industry became more commercialized and cows were brought into barns and fed slop in unsanitary conditions that the cows became sick and produced milk that NEEDED to be pasteurized. Milk from a healthy cow doesn't need to be pasteurized. 

Then there is the whole subject of the hormones and antibiotics given to the dairy cows to make them produce more milk. Those hormones are transferred from the cow to the milk and is to blame for a lot of hormonal imbalances that people suffer from today. I don't have time to go there right now. 

Did you know that raw milk doesn't go bad? It will sour after a couple of weeks as the lactic acid (bacteria) in it consumes the sugars in the milk. It gradually becomes less sweet, and then sours, but it not unsafe to drink. If you don't like the taste, you can still use it to cook with. Pasteurized milk will go bad and is not safe to drink once it begins to smell. 

So, if you are interested in finding RAW milk in your area, ask around at your farmer's market. Chances are someone will know where to point you. You can also go HERE to find a local source. 

Okay, now on to the butter! Real butter is so delicious! 

First you let the cream rise to the top of your jar and siphon it off. I find a turkey baster works really well for this. We let it sit out on the counter for a couple of days to make "cultured" butter. You can make butter right away but it a sweet cream butter and has a milder taste. We prefer the richer taste of the cultured butter. 

Then, I pour the cream into my blender and run it through several cycles. It usually takes about four minutes or so and then you can see the yellow butter float to the top of the jar. Then you pour it through a fine strainer. The milk that is left is buttermilk and is excellent for cooking. My husband and grandfather love to drink the buttermilk. That's fine with me. They can have it. 

While the blender is doing the 'churning' I prepare a bowl of ice water that is used to wash the butter. I sit my strainer down in the bowl of cold water and start 'working' it with the back of a wooden spoon. This gets the rest of the buttermilk out of it. It is an important step. If you don't get the milk out, it will sour more quickly. It doesn't last long enough at my house to matter. 

After you've gotten all the milk out of the butter, you can decide whether to salt it or not. Some choose to leave it unsalted and salt it as needed, but I usually salt it at this stage. I don't really know how much to tell you, it depends on how much butter you have. You'll know. 

All that's left to do is put it in a cute little bowl, wash the dishes, take some pictures and write a blog post. Oh wait, ya'll don't have to do that last part. All YOU have to do is make a piece of toast and ENJOY!  

So, what do you think? Am I crazy for making my own butter? For feeding my family milk that hasn't been pasteurized?  It might sound intimidating, but it is really easy! 

Kristy