Butter

-budda-

just when you thought you've seen me reach the peak of modern kitchen turned old school insanity (that phrase makes sense to me...) i've gone ahead and just lept over the cliff and decided i NEEDED to make my own butter. growing up i can't tell you how many time my mom and dad would mention how good fresh, homemade butter was when they were growing up. my mom raised on warm milk straight from the cow, along with uncountable other mazing farm-house goodies and my father being his father's only-store-in-town stock boy (aka fresh foods everyday) they shared the enjoyment of real food. ahh real food - where can i get some of that? anyways since i began my obsession with homemade, local, small batch dairy butter has been a high priority. it makes totally sense - over the last year i've honed jam skills & fresh bread has been a staple for me for almost a decade now (gasp - i'm old!) all that WAS missing is butter. so butter i made. to be honest its one of the easiest things i've "challenged" myself with. the most important factor is where you get your cream - make sure its fresh, local and from a small batch farmer with healthy cows. don't waste your time (and arm strength) with mass produced, ultra-pasterized, homogonized, hormone and antiboitic laced garbage from wal-mart, you'll just concentrate the lackluster. i adore my local dairy farmer (thanks NYC for rockin out with the greenmarkets) and you should too.

oh and by the way - my mom and dad where absolutely right; real, fresh butter is absolutely amazing - spread it on a fresh slice of bread and top with peach jam and you'll fall in love. i promise. sorry land-o-lakes you taste like wax - dirty wax.

BUTTER (yes butter)

1 1/2c heavy cream

quart glass jar

rested, healthy arms

*make sure your cream is at least 50% fat

*let 1 1/2c of heavy cream come to 60F

*pour into a jar that will allow for some "swishing" room and shake, shake, shake for about 15-20 minutes.

*you will see that first it will get pretty thick, then will start to seperate into a solid and a milky liquid - this is buttermilk

*drain off the buttermilk and save for later

*add cold water to the jar with the butter solids, shake and drain again. continue this process of rinsing until the water runns clear

*place the butter ball in a bowl and "knead" with a spoon or a couple of forks and continue to drain off the excess water.

*add 1/4 tsp or so of sea salt if you like your butter salted or leave it as is and lavish yourself by mixing it with honey. store in frig and enjoy over the next few weeks.