Cultured butter has a complex, tangy richness that store butter can't touch. You're simply culturing cream before churning — a practice as old as dairy farming itself. Once you make it, ordinary butter feels like a downgrade.
What You Need
- 1 quart (4 cups) heavy cream (pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized)
- 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk or crème fraîche (as your starter)
- Fine sea salt to taste (optional)
Method
- Combine cream and buttermilk in a clean jar. Cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature (65–72°F) for 12–24 hours until thickened and lightly tangy.
- Chill the cultured cream in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour — cold cream churns faster.
- Pour into a stand mixer bowl or food processor. Beat on medium-high.
- The cream will go through stages: whipped cream → stiff peaks → grainy → suddenly separating into yellow butter fat and white buttermilk. Don't stop.
- When the butter clumps together, stop. Drain the buttermilk (save it for bread or pancakes).
- Wash the butter: add very cold water to the bowl, work the butter with a spatula, pour off the milky water. Repeat until water runs clear. This removes buttermilk that would cause it to go rancid.
- Fold in salt if desired. Pack into a jar or shape on parchment.
Tips & Notes
- Ultra-pasteurized cream won't culture properly. Look for pasteurized (not UHT).
- Butter from pastured, grass-fed cows will be a beautiful deep yellow.
- Keeps refrigerated 2–3 weeks. Freeze extra for months.
#butter#dairy#fermented#cultured
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