How do you make butter from milk?

If you often use butter for cooking and have always wondered, “How do you make butter from milk?” and whether the process is too difficult. Don’t worry. In this article, Zextrasure will provide you with a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make butter from milk and important tips to keep in mind throughout the process.

1. Supplies needed for Homemade Butter

Before providing detailed instructions for the question “How do you make butter from milk?”, ensure you have the following supplies ready to  work for the best final product quality:

• Cream separator: It is used to separate the cream from milk. If you don’t have access to a cream separator, you can skim the cream off by hand.
• Stand mixer with whisk attachment: The stand mixer effectively churns the cream and helps to speed up the process delivering more consistent results than hand churning.
• Towel: It prevents cream from splattering around the kitchen counter, and keeps your workspace clean.
• Spatula: A wooden spatula is ideal as it avoids any reaction with the butter (because metal spoons can cause oxidation). It also helps scrape down the sides of the bowl during the churning process.
• Colander/Bowl or Cheesecloth: Used to strain the buttermilk from the butter solids.
• Water: Used to rinse the butter, which helps remove any remaining buttermilk, thereby extending the shelf life.

A cream separator significantly reduces the time needed to make butter, streamlining the process efficiently

2. How to make butter from fresh cow milk

Below are detailed instructions on the ingredients and steps to help you answer the question, “How do you make butter from milk?”:

Ingredients:

You need to prepare the ingredients for this:

• Fresh cow milk (Raw cow)
• Cold water
• Salt

Instruction:

To make butter from fresh cow milk, follow these steps: 

Step 1: Place the fresh milk in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours to allow the cream to rise to the top. Use a cream separator or carefully skim off the cream layer with a spoon. For best results, you use only the thick cream, as it will yield more butter.

Cream is separated from raw cream

Step 2: Then, you refrigerate the cream for a few hours until it’s very cold. This helps the butter to churn better.

Step 3: Begin by pouring the cream into a stand mixer or a large bowl. Start whipping at a low speed, gradually increasing as the cream thickens. After a few minutes, you’ll notice the mixture turning into whipped cream, which will soon begin to break down as the fat and liquid separate.

Whip the cream for 10-15 minutes, and you’ll notice it starting to thicken and solidify

Step 4: Keep mixing until the cream clumps together and separates into butter solids and liquid buttermilk. The process usually takes about 10-15 minutes with a stand mixer.

The mixture will begin to separate into butter and buttermilk.

Step 5: Pour the mixture into a colander lined with cheesecloth or a fine strainer to drain the buttermilk. Then, you rinse the butter under cold water, kneading it gently with your hands to remove any remaining buttermilk. This step helps extend the butter's shelf life.

Rinse the butter under cold water to clean it and extend its shelf life.

Step 6: Transfer the butter to a bowl to release any remaining liquid. If you prefer salted butter, add a pinch of salt during this step.

Step 7: Transfer the butter to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks or freeze it for longer storage.

Store the butter in the refrigerator and use it within 1-2 weeks.

See other:

• Nutrition Almond Milk Unsweetened Facts

• A guide on how to make a banana milkshake

3. How to make butter from goats milk

In the previous section, we answered the question, “How do you make butter from milk?” As the instructions show, making butter from fresh cow’s milk is not too challenging but requires careful attention. But what about goat’s milk?

According to Zextrasure, this makes butter from goat’s milk is generally more difficult than from cow’s milk. This is because goat’s milk has a naturally homogeneous texture, meaning the cream won’t rise and separate as it does in cow’s milk. As a result, separating the cream from goat’s milk can be more time-consuming. However, if you still want to enjoy butter from goat’s milk, we’ve compiled detailed instructions below.

Ingredients:

Goats milk cream: You can use a cream separator to skim the cream from the milk, which will save you time. However, if you don’t have a cream separator, you can use the traditional cream separation method, though it will take more time.

If you let your goat’s milk sit in the fridge for 3 - 7 days, you will get about a ½ inch of cream that has risen to the top. You take a spoon and scoop the cream off the top and you can start making butter.

Salt and Ice water: Just like when making butter from cow’s milk, salt is added for flavor, and ice-cold water is used to rinse the butter thoroughly.

Cream is separated from goat's milk

Instruction:

Our guide below will show you that the answer to the question “How do you make butter from milk?” is quite simple. Here are six steps to make butter from goat’s milk:

Step 1: Pour chilled goat’s milk cream into a mixer. Blend on high for about 10-15 minutes. At first, the mixture will resemble whipped cream, but soon it will separate, and you'll see little butter balls forming — that's when the butter is separating from the milk.

Blend on high for about 10-15 minutes

Step 2: Once the butter forms larger clumps, turn off the mixer and scoop out the butter

Step 3: Place the butter into a bowl filled with ice water.

Step 4: Gently squeeze the butter until it forms a firm ball. Keep squeezing until no more buttermilk is released.

Place the butter into a bowl filled with ice water

Step 5: Take the butter ball out of the ice water and place it in a clean bowl. You can add salt to taste.

Step 6: Store the butter in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks, or freeze it for longer storage.

Butter from goat’s milk

4. How to make butter from pasteurized milk

If you're wondering how do you make butter from milk and whether using pasteurized milk is possible, the answer is: You cannot make butter from regular pasteurized milk. Because the pasteurization and homogenization processes alter the milk's natural structure. 

Butter is essentially made from cream, and cream is the fat that naturally rises to the top of milk. However, pasteurized milk often undergoes homogenization, which breaks down fat molecules so that the cream does not separate and rise to the top. This means that pasteurized milk does not contain the cream needed to make butter.

To make butter, you need to use fresh, raw milk,  pasteurized milk that has not been homogenized (so the cream can still separate and rise to the top), or pasteurized cream. 

You cannot make butter from regular pasteurized milk

5. Notes for the butter-making process from milk

By following these steps, you can answer the question “How do you make butter from milk?” and make homemade butter from milk with great results. However, to achieve the best results, you need to keep in mind some important notes when making butter from milk:

• Use fresh milk: The fresher the milk, the better the cream quality. Raw or unpasteurized milk is the best option for butter-making as it allows the cream to naturally separate.
• Chill the Cream: Before churning, it is important to chill the cream in the fridge for a few hours. Cold cream churns more effectively and produces better butter.
• Churn Gently: When churning the cream, start at a low speed and gradually increase it to prevent the butter from becoming grainy or clumping.
• Buttermilk: As the cream churns, it will separate into butter and buttermilk. You can use the buttermilk for baking or cooking, adding a rich and tangy flavor to your recipes.
• Rinse the Butter: After the butter has formed, rinse it under cold water to remove any remaining buttermilk. This helps the butter stay fresh longer.
• Salt (Optional): You can add salt to taste if you want salted butter. It not only adds flavor but also helps preserve the butter.
• Storage: Store the butter in an airtight container to keep it fresh. You can refrigerate it for up to 1-2 weeks or freeze it for longer storage.

Zextrasure has provided you with a detailed answer to the question "How do you make butter from milk?". The process of making butter from milk is simple and doesn’t require many tools or ingredients. Therefore, you can easily try to make butter at home to save money and ensure a clean, fresh supply for your family.