How To Make Butter From Raw Milk

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Ready to learn exactly how to make butter from raw milk? Not everyone has the same equipment, but everyone does deserve a taste of fresh, raw butter. I’m going to teach you 3 different ways to do it so you have no excuses! 🙂 The best part is, none of them require an actual butter churn.

Maybe you’ve started milking your own cow, or maybe you are receiving raw milk from a local source. Either way, at some point you want to expand your repertoire of dairy products made from raw milk. This can include homemade yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, cheese, or of course, fresh butter.

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Butter made with raw milk is extra nutrient dense. It can’t really compare with butter from the grocery store. The rich, yellow color is indicative of the beta-carotene content level. Grass-fed cows typically produce more beta-carotene.

Plus, when you make butter from raw milk, the butter still has all the probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. You know, all the good stuff that comes along with drinking raw (as opposed to pasteurized) milk!

Table of Contents

• I. What You Need To Make Butter From Raw Milk
• II. Shaker Method
• III. Stand Mixer Method
• IV. Blender Method
• V. How To Properly Rinse and Store Homemade Butter
• VI. FAQs

what You Need To Make Butter From Raw Milk

The ingredients and equipment list for raw milk butter couldn’t be simpler.

Raw cream

To get the cream off a jar or bottle of raw milk, you need to let it sit without being shaken for a day or two. Store bought milk (unless it’s legal to buy raw milk directly in your state) is homogenized, which means that the cream and the low-fat portion of the milk is mechanically combined. Because raw milk is not homogenized, the cream rises to the top when it sits without being shaken.

If we’re getting milk fresh from the cow, I like to wait 2-3 days before skimming the cream line off the top of the jar. This gives the milk ample time to separate so I can get as much luscious cream as possible. And more cream means more butter!

You can even use cream from sour raw milk if you like. Butter made from soured milk contains beneficial bacteria (ever heard of cultured butter?).

Salt

You can add salt at different points in the butter making process, depending on what method you use. Of course, you could also make unsalted butter. But salted butter made from raw milk is the richest, most flavorful butter you could eat. This makes it perfect for slathering straight on a slice of homemade sourdough bread.

Mason jar

If you’re using the shaker method to make butter, you will need a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Use a big enough jar that you don’t have to fill it much more than halfway. That means if you’re using a cup of cream to make butter, you should use a pint size mason jar.

Stand mixer or blender

Of course, the more hands-off way to make butter is with a stand mixer or blender. This allows you to get your butter going and do another task while you’re waiting for the cream to separate.

Butter churns are great and a you may look into one if you will be making butter on a regular basis. (Or if you’re just into the “old fashioned” way of doing things) But my personal favorite method is the stand mixer, even as a regular maker of raw milk butter. A churn really is just not necessary.

How To Make Butter From Raw Milk: Shaker Method

You can still make butter if you don’t own a churn, food processor, blender, or stand mixer! This is a fun and easy way to get kids (and sometimes husbands) involved in making butter for the first time. It’s also a great arm workout.

Add fresh cream to a mason jar. Don’t add so much cream that the jar is more than halfway full.

If you let your cream come to room temperature first, this process will be faster. Cold cream will work fine, too, it will just take a little longer to get to the stage of separating.

For salted butter, add a pinch of your favorite salt to the cream before you start shaking. Screw on a tight-fitting lid, and shake till your heart’s content. And probably then some. It usually takes at least 5 minutes of shaking to get whipped cream, and then another 2-3 for the butter solids to separate from the cream.

Once you feel that a clump has formed inside the jar, keep shaking for another minute, then strain and rinse the solidified butter under cold water. Store in the fridge and use within a week.

How To Make Butter From Raw Milk: Stand Mixer Method

A stand mixer is my favorite way to make butter from raw milk. My favorite thing about it is that I can simply skim the cream, pour it in a bowl, and just let the mixer do it’s job!

You will need the wire whisk attachment and possibly a splash guard (this one has a pour spout too!). If you don’t have a splash guard, you can drape a tea towel over your mixer to help contain any mess.

Pour the skimmed heavy cream in the bowl of your stand mixer and turn it on high.

The cream will first start forming peaks (feel free to stop at this point if you want some incredible whipped cream). Then, the butter will start to solidify and separate from the buttermilk. For me, it takes about 10 minutes of whipping before getting to butter.

Don’t walk away for too long, though. If you over beat the cream, it will basically melt the butter, turning it into a soupy, grainy mess. Ask me how I know.

I was seriously distraught the first time it happened to me. The thought of wasting all that raw cream made me sick to my stomach. But thankfully, I figured out a way to save it.

If this happens to you, add a splash of ice water to the mixer and whisk it again. This should re-solidify the butter. Your buttermilk will be a bit watered down, but still usable.

Take the same bowl you mixed in and start pressing the butter against the sides with a large wooden spoon or spatula. Then pour everything into a mesh strainer with another bowl or jar with funnel underneath. After straining, rinse the butter thoroughly with cold water (see below).

How To Make Butter From Raw Milk: Blender Method

Using a blender to make butter is fast and easy. The blades quickly churn the cream, turning it into golden butter in no time.

Pour your skimmed cream into the blender and turn it on high for about one minute. At first you will see it turn into whipped cream. But keep it going just a little longer and you’ll hear and see the butter separating from the buttermilk.

The blender may start to sound like it’s working hard, and that’s because there’s a big chunk of butter in there! This is when you want to turn it off.

Pour the contents into a bowl, pressing the butter against the sides with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then run it through a mesh strainer, being sure to place a bowl or other vessel underneath to catch the buttermilk. After this, you will want to properly rinse the butter so it will stay good in the fridge as long as possible.

How To Properly Rinse and Store Homemade Butter

No matter which method you choose to make your own raw milk butter, the process of rinsing and storing is the same. The way you go about rinsing and storing is very important, because it will help keep your butter from going rancid.

Right after processing, use a wooden spoon, spatula, or your hands to get as much buttermilk out as possible. I like to add salt at this point, because the process of pressing the butter helps mix it in. You don’t have to add salt though.

Form into a ball and rinse with cold water until it runs clear.

FAQs about butter and raw milk

Where can I find raw milk?

If you’re still wondering where to get raw milk to make butter with, you have a couple of options. The best way is to get to know locals in your area. Join some homesteading Facebook groups and ask any local farmer you come across.

You can also visit realmilk.com, ran by the Weston A. Price Foundation. This is a great resource to learn more about raw, unpasteurized milk and where to find it locally.

How much butter will a gallon of raw milk make?

This can vary based on the cream line that a specific dairy cow provides. But generally speaking, about a pint and a half of cream can be skimmed off a gallon of milk. This should be enough cream to produce around a half pound of butter.

Is it cheaper to buy or make your own butter?

Making your own butter is generally cheaper than buying from the store. This is especially true if you are buying organic, grass fed butter.

In my area, a gallon of raw milk costs around $10. The amount of cream from that gallon of whole milk will produce around a half pound of butter. In addition, there is almost a gallon of skim milk left over to drink fresh, feed to homestead animals, make mozzarella cheese, or use in other recipes.

For reference, a half pound of Kerrygold butter costs about $5.

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