From Farm to Table: How to Make Homemade Raw Butter
A beginner’s guide to making homemade raw butter and understanding the difference between pasteurized and raw butter.
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Butter has been a staple in kitchens all around the world for centuries, offering rich flavor and creamy texture to countless dishes. However, not all butter is created equal. Raw butter, made from unpasteurized cream, has gained popularity in recent years due to its health benefits and unique taste. Many of the processed butter products marketed as butter in USA do not even include dairy in them. While raw dairy products are still controversial in some circles, more and more people are choosing raw butter as a healthier alternative to traditional store-bought options.
Raw Butter vs Pasteurized Butter
What is Pasteurized Butter?
Pasteurized butter is made from milk that has been heated to a specific temperature and time in order to kill harmful bacteria and increase its shelf life. During the pasteurization process, raw milk is heated to a temperature between 145°F for 30 minutes or a higher temperature of 161°F for 15 seconds.
What is Raw Butter?
It is butter that is made from unpasteurized milk meaning it has not been heated to kill bacteria.
How Raw Butter is Made?
Raw butter is a type of butter that is made from unpasteurized cream, meaning it has not been heated or treated to kill any bacteria or pathogens. This type of butter is typically made from grass-fed cows and is considered to be a more natural form of dairy because it retains all the nutrients found in fresh milk.
Raw grass fed butter has a rich, creamy flavor and texture that many people find appealing. It can be used in cooking and baking just like regular butter, but some people prefer using it for its health benefits.
Raw milk can be used to make other raw dairy products such as raw shredded cheese and raw kefir. One of the biggest differences is that the color comes naturally to raw cheese. The bright yellow color you see on many cheeses in stores is from coloring. The best part about raw milk is you can essentially get all other dairy products raw for free if you make them yourself.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Whisk attachment for kitchen aid
- Bowl
- Ladle
- Splash guard or tea towel
- Airtight container
Ingredients
- 1 quart of raw milk
- Cold water
- Salt (optional)
How to Make Raw Butter
Making raw butter is a simple process that can be done at home with just a few ingredients. It is made from raw cream, which means it has not been pasteurized or homogenized. This gives the butter a richer flavor and texture compared to store-bought butter.
It is important to note that how fast the butterfat begins to separate from the buttermilk is dependent upon the temperature of your cream. For less mixing time let your cream sit at room temperature for 20 – 30 minutes before beginning the butter making process.
Making Butter From Raw Milk
Start by separating the cream from the milk. Add the milk into your mixing bowl. Depending on the breed of milk cow you get your milk from your cream levels will be different. Typically on each gallon of milk we get a little more than 1 pint of cream. You may get more or less.
Turn on the mixer to low speed for 2 – 3 minutes. It should have already passed the “whipped” stage and you will begin to see small curdles of butter. This process will get messy so add your splash guard. If you do not have one drape a tea towel over your mixer.
Next turn the mixer to medium speed for 2 – 3 minutes. You should start to see more curdles at this point. They will begin getting larger.
Then turn the mixer up to high speed for 5 – 7 minutes or until you see the butterfat separate from the buttermilk.
Next, remove the butter from the buttermilk and put the butter into a separate, clean bowl. Pour the buttermilk into a separate container and refrigerate.
Run Cold water over the butter and begin folding and squeezing the butter to remove the buttermilk. You want to continue doing this until the water runs clear and the water has no more cloudiness/milk left. This process will take several minutes.
After the water runs clear remove any excess water from the butter. At this point you can add salt to your butter but this is completely optional. Place the butter in a clean, airtight container.
How to Store Butter
Raw butter can be stored in the refrigerator up to 60 days or on the counter for 7 – 10 days. To get your butter to last longer ensure you rinse the butter thoroughly and remove all buttermilk. Lightly salted butter also last longer than unsalted.
FAQ’s
It can last up to 60 days if stored properly.
It will last up to 60 days if stored properly. Ensuring that you remove all buttermilk during the rinsing process will help prevent the butter from spoiling.
Yes, it can be left out at room temperature for approximately 7 – 10 days.
Yes, it can be frozen. Unsalted butter will only last about 6 months while salted butter can last up to a year.
Yes, unless the butter states that it is organic raw butter or raw organic grass fed butter then it is more than likely pasteurized.
It can be hard to find depending on where you live. You can always check farm store events or farmers markets. They are great places to start looking. If they don’t have any for sale you can ask for a local source. You can find online sources for raw butter by simply searching ” raw butter ” or ” grass fed raw butter near me ” and selecting the shopping tab. If you can find a raw farm near you then you will have all access to butter raw, milk raw, cheese raw, and any raw milk products you want.
It can be made using this same recipe and how to guide. Just in place of using raw cream use pasteurized cream. You have to use cream because on pasteurized whole milk there isn’t enough cream to make butter.
Health Benefits
Yes, one of the main benefits is that it contains high levels of healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids. These fats have been linked to numerous health benefits, such as improving heart health, reducing inflammation, and supporting brain function. It also contains essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Vitamin A is especially important for skin health and immune system function. Butter made from raw grass fed organic milk is best.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.
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Raw Butter
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand held mixer
- Whisk attachment for kitchen aid
- Bowl
- Ladle
- Splash guard or tea towel
- Airtight container
Ingredients
- 1 quart Raw milk
- Cold water
- Salt (optional)
Instructions
- Start by separating the cream from the milk. Add the raw milk into your mixing bowl.
- Turn on the mixer to low speed for 2 – 3 minutes. It should have already passed the "whipped" stage and you will begin to see small curdles of butter. This process will get messy so add your splash guard. If you do not have one drape a tea towel over your mixer.
- Next turn the mixer to medium speed for 2 – 3 minutes. You should start to see more curdles at this point. They will begin getting larger.
- Then turn the mixer up to high speed for 5 – 7 minutes or until you see the butterfat separate from the buttermilk.
- Next, remove the butter from the buttermilk and put the butter into a separate, clean bowl. Pour the buttermilk into a separate container and refrigerate.
- Run Cold water over the butter and begin folding and squeezing the butter to remove the buttermilk. You want to continue doing this until the water runs clear and the water has no more cloudiness/milk left. This process will take several minutes.
- After the water runs clear remove any excess water from the butter. At this point you can add salt to your butter but this is completely optional. Place the butter in a clean, airtight container.
