How to make butter with whipping cream and every kitchen's most versatile tool - the mason jar. You will also need, a stand mixer, a food processor or an aggressive steroid regiment.
I shook butter until my arm almost fell off last week. I’d done it before and kept both limbs, so I figured, why not? No idea why making butter—even when it hurts—is so much fun.
There’s something cathartic about shaking a jar like it owes you money. That aggression fades fast, though, replaced by pure delirium because turning cream into butter by hand takes forever. At least 20 minutes.
The real MVP? The mason jar. A relic from a simpler time when people used them for jam, moonshine, and proudly displaying their gallstones. You know—the good old days.
Watch this video to see it in action…
Ta da! Creamy, fresh butter. Way nicer to eat than a chewy set of gallstones.
How to Make Butter
How to make fresh butter with whipping cream and a mason jar. (or a mixer if you prefer)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Whipping Cream or Heavy Cream (35% or over)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Get your whipping cream to room temperature by leaving it on the counter for a couple of hours. This helps move the process along so you won't have to shake it for as long a time period.
- Pour enough whipping cream into a mason jar to fill it about halfway.
- Shake the jar vigorously. It will thicken, turn solid, and then the solid form will "break" which separates the buttermilk from the butter. This whole process will take at least 15 minutes. Your arm will hurt.
- Drain the buttermilk from the jar.
- Once you've created your butter, plunk it into a bowl and mash away at it with a spoon to remove any remaining liquid and drain it off.
- Continue to mash the butter and rinse it with cool water until all the liquid is gone. It's fully rinsed when the water runs clear.
Add ¼ teaspoon of salt & stir it in with a spoon.
Notes
- The resulting buttermilk isn't fermented like grocery store buttermilk. It just tastes like regular milk, and you can use it in anything you'd use milk.
- Adding salt acts as a preservative as well as a seasoner. Hand shaken butter doesn't store as long as store bought or even butter that's been made in a stand mixer.
- Don't stop shaking when it forms a solid mass. You have to shake beyond that point to "break" out the buttermilk.
TO MAKE IN A STAND MIXER: Use the paddle attachment on medium/high. (start on low so you don't have a splashfest)
Takes 4-5 minutes
TO MAKE IN A FOOD PROCESSOR: Use the regular blade attachment and whiz.
Takes 4-5 minutes
After watching that, now at some point in your life, you’re going to find yourself standing in your kitchen, staring at a carton of whipping cream, thinking, I could make butter. Maybe you ran out of store-bought butter. Maybe you just want to feel superior to 18th-century homesteaders. Either way, I support your questionable choices.
What You Need:
- 1 cup of whipping cream (35% fat or higher—don't cheap out)
- 1 mason jar with a lid
- Patience (or very strong forearms)
Step 1: Pour the Cream into the Jar
Not too complicated. Just dump it in there. Leave some space at the top unless you want an early introduction to the laws of physics.
Step 2: Shake Like You Mean It
Put the lid on tight and shake. And shake. And then shake some more. Somewhere between minutes 3 and 5, you'll start questioning your life choices. That means you're doing it right.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
First, the cream will get thick—like whipped cream (because it is whipped cream). KEEP GOING. At around 8-10 minutes, the magic happens: the fat separates from the buttermilk, and suddenly, you have a lump of actual butter.
Step 3: Strain and Rinse
Dump out the buttermilk (or save it for baking). Rinse the butter under cold water, kneading it gently to remove excess liquid. This step is important unless you like your butter with an expiration date of “right now.”
Step 4: Salt & Enjoy
Mix in a pinch of salt if you like, or leave it unsalted if you want to feel like a Puritan. Smear it on toast. Marvel at your achievement. Wonder why your arms hurt so much.
Final Thoughts
Making butter in a mason jar is 50% science, 50% stubbornness, and 100% proof that you don’t need fancy equipment to do something old-timey and satisfying. And now, if civilization collapses, at least you’ll have butter.
So long as you own a cow.
Yay! For some reason I just started listening to the Little House books for the first time. Yes, I am an adult. Ma churned butter every Thursday. I had so many questions until this post. :)
I prefer and enjoy making my butter the TRUE old-timey way - in my food processor adding very cold water to get out the trapped buttermilk from the solid. Why.... I've been known to let it churn away for nearly 4 minutes till done. Phew! I get tired just thinking about the labour. On a related aside, can you believe it's been 14 years since you first posted this one? Crikey! Time flies...whether or not yer havin' fun. Keep on keepin' on kiddo.
So I just tried this, shook VERY VIGOROUSLY for 13 minutes, and it made the most lovely whipped cream 🤣 can I keep going to get butter? It's no longer moving inside my jar... Just solid whipped cream. I just looked at the ingredients on my heavy whipping cream, and it has gellam gum added 😭 I wonder if that's why?! Guess I'll have to get some PURE cream and try again!
Ack! I'm sorry I just got this. I hope you recuperated and kept trying because you're SO close to it becoming butter! ~ karen
Will this keep in my butter cloche on my kitchen counter?
Hi June! As long as you add salt to it it will. Salt is what preserves butter on the counter regardless of whether it's homemade or store bought. Unsalted butter goes mouldy fairly quickly. ~ karen!
Karen I work the farm at a 19th century village restoration so hearth cooking, churning butter etc is second nature to us. I have two comments, one on the method and one on the comments.
1) Since marbles are made of glass and can chip I would not put them in a jar I am going to shake vigorously. Use a wine cork instead if you need something as an agitator.
2) I am highly amused by the commenters here who think sitting on the couch and shaking your arm for ten minutes is "hard work". Reminds me of all the people that pay landscapers to cut their grass and do the weeding and then pay more of their good money to a gym so they can get "exercise" and stay in shape.
i'm 73 and as a child I remember our visits to the farm always started with running to he cellar with a salt shaker and a mug to dip into the crock of cool buttermilk. Grandmothers' table always had homemade bread and butter. Oh, the memories!
Margaret - I love that! And I really love the necklace on your homepage! ~ karen
Thanks Karen.
I'm pleased you like my necklace.
Going out today to buy whipping cream. I don't have a cow or a crock, so I'll just have to shake it up.
quick question. I have a gumbo recipe that calls for one teaspoon of Whey. Can I use this leftover cream whey in that format? Or any other format for that matter?
A friend's family owns a diary farm and she dropped off 4 cups of cream ... My husband and I had a 20 min errand to run so I put the cream in two jars and shook all the way there. Then coming back we traded seats and my husband shook on the way back (well, I shook one as I drove - back country road) and we got butter! Had some tonight with bread that we made. Thanks Karen!
LOL. That's funny. Good job. ~ karen
I found your page by a picture of a really really really awesome chicken coop!!! WHICH BTW I LOVE~ in case you couldnt get all that by the 'really really really' :)
Anyways Im so glad i found your blog! you are hallarious! I have found myself stalking your older posts, (is it really stalking!) I am sooooo trying out this butter! my husband shares your mason jar obsession, NOT EXACTLY SURE WHY, i think it has something to do with him being a kid in florida or maybe indiana? (we live in ohio) ANYWAYS! Im trailing off!
LOVE LOVE YOUR BLOG! i am subscribing right now!! :)
Thanks Alexis! I really, really, really appreciate it. ;) ~ karen!
OK! so i tried this, using heavy whipping cream, and there was nothing to drain, it didnt get clumpy? was i not supposed to use heavy?? i shook the damn thing for 20 mminutes!! LOL HELP!
There definitely should have been something to drain. And yes, whipping cream is what you use. Did you end up with a ball of butter? Or do you still have a bottle of liquid? If you still have a bottle of liquid you aren't shaking it hard enough. You can try adding a couple of marbles. ~ karen!
it wasnt liquid liquid like i just poured it in there, it was like creamy liquid, Ill try again. Thanks
Yup. You're definitely not shaking it hard enough. Add the marbles, or when you shake it, make sure you do it with force so you can feel the liquid smash up against the lid and the bottom of the jar. When you think you're going to die, shake it some more. ~ karen
yep didnt shake it hard enough, i redid it and felt like i was going to die! i think i died like 5 times! LOL!! but its soooo good!!! will definitely NOT be buying butter anymomre, butter money will be spent on whipping cream
I'm a purist: there's always a bowl of land'o'lakes butter in the fridge for cooking, spreading, and other epicurean experiments. I refuse to use (eeeewwww) margarine. Looks like there's going to be a change in this though.... lol thanks. Now I'll have a land'o'lakes bowl of butter in the fridge instead. I'm bookmarking your site. Fell in love. Can't help it. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Cat - You're welcome! Glad you found my site. You can subscribe for email updates at the top right of the page. If you are so inclined. ~ karen!
Hi
I found this site looking to make yogurt. years ago,hippy days, I made my yogurt and sat the jAR ON TOP OF THE HOTWATER HEATER NEAR THE HOT PIPE, over night. worked great! the years made me forget how to make it. I am 70 now and going back to doing things REAL!.
then came the butter ! love it. did not know it was so easy. butter is very spendy, so from now on I make it! you are great lady! thanks big time!
Hi Tara - Thanks! I'm happy you found my site! BE warned. I swear. ~ karen
Mine didn't work. What did I do wrong?
Shantell - Hmm. Well, I don't know, LOL. It's pretty difficult to mess up. My guess would be you didn't shake it long enough or hard enough. ~ karen!
I MADE BUTTER!!! Can your sense my excitement?! I had the whole wham-bam-family over for dinner Sunday night. I followed your how to...and as I walked around shaking the mason jar in front of my family, they all laughed and made fun of me. "Yeah okay Shari...that'll only take a few hours"...laugh, laugh, laugh. After about 14 minutes, the laughter came to a quick halt as I opened the lid, tipped the jar over a bowl and out plopped a blob of BUTTER! Tee-hee! It was sooo good...and everyone thought I was awesome! Thanks Karen! You're awesome...I'm new to your site...and I absolutely love it!
LOL. I did the very same thing one year. So funny to see their faces. Who KNEW making butter could make a guy/gal so happy?! It's funny how the little things really are the best things. Welcome to the site. As you may have ascertained, sometimes I swear. I trust you're O.K. with that. :) ~ karen
My coworker Christina loves you/your site and has finally gotten me interested in reading it myself with the "Tips on Making Butter" blog. I haven't actually seen the video yet, but judging from the comments, it sounds pretty entertaining. I gotta say, there is nothing more engaging than a sense of humor and you sure have it. I think I'll try making the butter too.
Teresa - LOL, don't you hate it when someone tries to push something on you? (in this case me and my site!) It's like whenever says "Oh! You should meet Jennifer, she's great! You'd just love Jennifer!!" And then suddenly the last person on the face of the earth you want to meet is Jennifer. :) Thanks for showing up and good luck with the butter! ~ karen
When I first saw this, I thought that you must be a witch. Then I tried it, and it worked! Now I have a way to work off all weight I'm gonna gain from eating butter with a spoon.
Karen, I LOVED this video so much, that you inspired me to take my own try at it and make a video too!
http://cookieloveseating.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-fresh-butter.html
Thanks for the inspiration!
Cookie - LOL. Everyone who thinks shaking a mason jar with your arm is too much work, should watch this video. :) ~ karen
OMG Karen was that one of those stupid polystyrene reflector boards that fell on you? I would die, just drop dead! I have a phobia of polystyrene.
When I was on the show I had to do all these photoshoots and I was always having panic attacks standing in those little polystyrene lightbox studio things. True story, I screamed when I saw it fall on you and pushed my iPad off the bed.
Anyway. Making butter is fun, but only if there is no polystyrene around.
Shannon - LOL. That made me actually laugh out LOUD. Sorry. Not laughing at your phobia. Phobias are no laughing matter. Pushing your iPad off the bed, however is pretty funny. ~ karen! p.s. Could you please email you? I have a question for you.
Lol sure I could email myself, you may also email me if you like.
LOL! It had been a long day of cooking turkey and cleaning up! ~ karen
My recipe- put the jar on the window sill with flowers in it, put the cream in the KitchenAid and turn it on. Sit down and put your feet up. I have made my own butter all my life-when I didn't get up and check on the whipped cream I was making and it turned to butter. As for the kids rolling the jar around on the floor with marbles in it......you have got to be kidding! If you are looking to hire a hit woman to kill them, bring that jar along when you come to my house for dinner. No charge!
Just read your bio,,,and watched the butter episode...man you're mean...and a tad cocky.lol.I Like that in a woman ! Whoot !
ciao,
D(aka: B)
The old timers - i.e. my grandmother, at least - churned big batches of butter because her family (9 children) wouldn't have had enough butter for one meal if they'd used a mason jar.
When her butter was ready, my grandmother pressed it into a bowl and smoothed off the top. When it was firm, she turned it upside down on the butter dish which had a round dome top. Now when I see that same butter dish in my dining room, I think of my grandmother on the back porch with her butter churn.