Make/Dance Your Own Butter

posted: Tuesday, December 26th, 2017

We’d wanted to have a butter-making dance session at Wild Springs ever since hearing about this interactive art and aerobics exercise called Feel the Churn. People-powered local food, set to dance music? Count us in. You can do this in your own kitchen by turning up your favorite jam and shaking it to the beat.

Ingredients [makes 1 lb. butter]

  • 1 quart Organic Cream
  • Opt. Salt
  • Opt. Ice Water

Equipment

  • Mason Jars and Lids
  • Spatula
  • Bowl
  • Opt. Strainer
  • Opt. Sparkle [We used silver tinsel, cut into strips and tied around mason jars with rubber bands]
  • Opt. Rubber Bands

Directions

Pour the cream into a mason jar, filling the jar about halfway and tightening the lid.

Start shaking! After a few minutes of grooving, the cream will turn into become fluffy whipped cream, then into small curds. You’ll start to see butterfat spearate from the milk. Keep shaking! After about 10 minutes, the butter will begin to clump together and you will see watery buttermilk pooling.

You’ve just made butter. Pour off as much liquid from the jar as you can, and save it! It’s great for baking or in smoothies.

Use a spatula to press out as much of the liquid as possible. To save the butter, you want to wash the butter with ice water. Add 1/2 cup of ice water to the butter and press the butter against the side of the bowl. Pour off the liquid, which will be cloudy. Repeat a couple more times, with more ice water until the water becomes less cloudy. When all the liquid has been pressed out, you can sprinkle with salt if you like, or wait to salt until you use it.

Pack in parchment, plastic wrap, or in containers. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months.

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