I’ve been off of refined sugars and carbs for about 9 days and I have to say I’m surprised at how sluggish I still feel. Well, I’m surprised and not surprised at the same time.
Sugar is powerful stuff and it’s not shocking that it’s making a powerful statement as it works its way out of my body.
Staying away from sugar has caused me to get a bit more creative with my recipes recently. I’m still doing quite a bit of experimenting from one of my favorite cookbooks, The America’s Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been experimenting with homemade cultured butter. I always find it fascinating to make store bought staples at home and butter was no exception.Â
How to make homemade cultured butter
This homemade cultured butter only has two ingredients, cream and yogurt. And it makes a butter that tastes equally as smooth and rich as anything I’ve ever bought from the store.
It does have several involved steps but none of them are difficult and the results are just plain fun. There is something so immensely satisfying about holding a lumpy stick of butter in the air and proclaiming to the stars, “I made this!” Or maybe that’s just me…
Also, buttermilk. One of the byproducts from making homemade cultured butter is real, old fashioned buttermilk like grandma used to make on the farm.
Not the curdled stuff you can make by adding vinegar to milk and letting it sit. Most likely not even the stuff you buy at the grocery store.
Real buttermilk is a byproduct of butter creation. It’s liquid gold in your baked goods.
A very important note about the recipe: one of the final steps involves pressing and washing the butter in ice water to remove any traces of buttermilk. If you don’t wash the butter very thoroughly it has the potential to go rancid quickly.
This happened to me the first time I experimented with making homemade butter. I rushed through the process and my gorgeous stick of butter began smelling sour after a week.
If you wash the butter thoroughly it will last in the refrigerator up to a month or in the freezer for four months.
Homemade Cultured Butter
Ingredients
- 4 cups pasteurized heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized or UHT), room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt, optional
Instructions
- Combine cream and yogurt in a 2-quart jar or container with a tight-fitting lid, cover, and shake to combine. Remove lid, cover with a clean kitchen towel, butter muslin or triple layer of cheesecloth, securing in place with a rubber band. Place jar in a warm place, preferably 75 degrees F, and let sit until thickened to the consistency of yogurt, 18 to 48 hours. (If temperature dips much below 75 degrees, culture may take up to 60 hours). Once thickened, remove the kitchen towel, cover jar with lid, and transfer to refrigerator until mixture registers 60 degrees F, about 2 hours.
- Place 4 cups of ice water in the refrigerator. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a butter muslin or triple layer of cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and covered with plastic wrap, whip cream on high speed until cream separates into buttermilk and small clumps of yellow butter, 2 to 5 minutes. Strain butter through prepared strainer for 1 minute. Gather edges of muslin and twist to squeeze butter until buttermilk no longer flows freely from pouch. Remove butter from muslin and transfer to a clean, large bowl; reserve buttermilk for another use.
- Pour about 1/3 cup ice water over the butter. With butter resting in water, use rubber spatula to fold the butter against the side of the bowl, letting water wash over the butter to rinse off any remaining buttermilk. Discard milky liquid, and repeat washing process until water remains clear, about 6 washes. After the final wash, discard any water in the bowl and continue folding butter to squeeze out any remaining liquid; discard liquid. If you want to really get in there, squeeze the butter with your hands at the end. Sprinkle butter with salt, if using, and fold into butter. Divide the butter in half, transfer to parchment paper, and roll into 2 logs or desired shape. Butter can be refrigerated for up to 1 month for frozen for at least 4 months.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Jenni says
1)I’m impressed with the staying-away-from-sugar! I think I probably need to go on a sugar detox for awhile. I think I’ll have to work up to it, though!
2)It’s not just you. =)
3)I love that you made this! And so simple! I’m going to have to give it a shot and then maybe turn my butter into croissants! Yay!
Deepa@onesmallpot says
This is so exciting……..I want to try it NOW! Gorgeous pics as well.
Just a word of advice about the sugar thing. I found that the first time I quit it was just the processed foods and I still felt sluggish. The second time I quit all sugars including fruit (temporarily), sauces, juice etc and after about 2-3 weeks I felt amazing. So maybe you still have some hidden sugars in your diet that you are missing?
Alisha Scites says
YUM, that looks delicious! And you aren’t the only one, I love making Kombucha at home. It’s fun and so much cheaper!
cheers! :)
Alisha
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Gorgeous, I want to make this for croissants!
Jenny @ BAKE says
wow this is amazing! I have never considered making my own butter! I might have to have a go one of these days!
Shikha @ Shikha la mode says
Can I say this is the coolest thing to me? I can’t believe you’re going no sugar and carbs though, that sounds so difficult!!
Happy Valley Chow says
This is sooo awesome! Totally trying this when I get a chance. Bookmarked and pinned!
Nicole says
I love that cookbook and I love cultured butter! For extra energy while taking a break from sugar, try adding extra coconut oil to your diet by adding a tablespoon to a smoothie or cup of tea. It really does work give me increased energy.
Jennifer Farley says
Thanks for the tip! I’ve been using coconut oil in date & nut bites. I also just bought some coconut butter and it’s soooo good. I’m hoping that has the same effect because I can just eat a spoonful plain.
Carolyn says
As I said on your FB post, it can take 2-3 weeks to detox from sugar/carbs. Hang in there kid. I am full of energy (except when my kids suck all the oxygen out of the room…) :)
Jennifer Farley says
It’s encouraging to hear people say that. Just getting this post live was like walking through molasses. But I feel a little more like me today. I will prevail!
carrie@bakeaholicmama says
Kudos to you for staying away from sugar. I am not completely cutting it out, but for the last 5 days have cut it way back. It’s hard!
No for this butter, I want to try making it over the weekend!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
I’ve never made my own butter but wow this looks gorgeous! I love really good butter on a warm piece of bread, mmm-mmm!
Hari Chandana says
Very beautiful clicks!!
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious says
Fist pump for your amazing efforts! I salute you with a low carb baguette, you can do it!!
Ellen says
Wow, I don’t know if I could do without sugar like you! On the other hand, if it meant I got to eat more butter….;)
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I haven’t made my own butter since a project in 3rd grade! You have inspired me to give it a go. Butter is always delish and everything is better home made right? Plus, those pics are so simple and gorgeous! I didn’t a blob of butter could be so dang purdy!