Video - How to Make Butter in a Jar

You'd be surprised how easy it is to make delicious butter at home. Writer Alice Galletly shows you how in this short video.

There's a smug sense of achievement that comes from having a jar of fresh, homemade butter in the fridge, but the truth is it's a total cinch to make. All you need is a bottle of cream, a jar and a bit of elbow grease. 

The butter that I made in the video above was ready to eat fresh, but to make it last longer see the extra step (8), below.

1. Half-fill your jar with cream (this ratio doesn't have to be exact, you just need to leave enough room for the cream to be shaken around). 

2. Put on some music (may I suggest "Shake It Up Baby") and start shaking. Keep shaking, and then shake some more! If there are others in the house, get them to shake too.  

3. After a bit (usually about 8-10 minutes) you will notice the butter and the buttermilk starting to separate. Keep shaking for another couple of minutes until you have a lump of butter sitting in buttermilk. 

4. Use the lid of the jar to strain off the buttermilk. You can save this to use in baking – it's especially good in pancakes! 

6. Pour a little ice cold water in the jar with the butter, screw on the lid, and shake again for about 30 seconds. Pour off the liquid. If it looks milky, repeat this process a few times until the water runs clear. 

7. Add a little salt to taste, screw the lid back on and... You guessed it, give it another shake! (Skip this step if you're making unsalted butter.) 

8. At this point your butter will be delicious and ready to eat fresh. If you plan to put it in the fridge and have it last for 2-3 weeks, however, you really need to remove all liquid from the butter. You can do this by using a wooden spoon to mash the butter against the side of a bowl, while tilting the bowl at an angle to let any excess water run off. 

music/bensounds.com