Making Homemade Butter in a Food Processer --- Sooo easy

For a fascinating history of butter making and a discussion of using sweet versus cultured cream, see the following web site. The site also explains the flavour and colour of butter depends on the season. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/How-To-Make-Butter-And-Buttermilk.aspx

The ultimate web site on butter is Butter through the Ages at http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/index.html

I made butter this morning in about 15 minutes using the following instructions.

Homemade Butter

Equipment:
Food processer, with plastic, whisk, or chopping blade (I used the chopping blade).
Glass or measuring cups, various sizes
2 cups heavy whipping cream (Have the cream around 60°F/15°C before churning. I didn't warm mine up that but it worked anyway). Use fresh cream preferably straight from the store and use as soon as you open the carton. Apparently, "vat pasteurized cream" tastes better than ultra heat treated (UHT) or HTST pasteurized but I don't know a source.
Ice water (cold water with a few ice cubs in it).
Instructions:
Fill the food processor about 1/4 to 1/2 full. Blend. The cream will go through the following stages: Sloshy, frothy, soft whipped cream, firm whipped cream, coarse whipped cream. Then, suddenly, the cream will seize, its smooth shape will collapse, and the whirring will change to sloshing. The butter is now fine grained bits of butter in buttermilk, and a few seconds later, a glob of yellowish butter will separate from milky buttermilk. (Mine didn't form a glob until I added ice cold water with ice cubes in the third washing later.)
Drain the buttermilk and save for bread baking. You can eat the butter now --- it has a light taste --- though it will store better if you wash and work it.Add 1/2 cup ice-cold water, and blend further. Discard wash water and repeat until the wash water is clear (7 times). This will ensure that the butter does not go rancid.Now, work butter to remove suspended water. Place damp butter into a cool bowl and knead with a potato masher. The water will come out --- drain it off. The butter is now ready. Put butter in a French butter crock, ramekins or roll in waxy freezer paper. You'll have about half as much butter as the amount of cream you started with. You can freeze the butter or keep on the counter in a French butter crock. See this page for pictures and details: http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/crocks.html

If desired, add salt before working.

To make compounds, see this page for recipes: http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/compound-recipes.html

For even tastier butter, culture the cream before churning. Pour the cream into a pottery or glass bowl. Add a few tablespoons store-bought live cultured yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, clabbered cream, or creme fraiche, and let sit uncovered on the kitchen counter for 6 to 14 hours to thicken and ferment before churning. It should taste delicious, slightly sour, with no aftertaste. If it is bubbly, or smells yeasty or gassy, discard. Use some butter making tools, such as a churn, paddle for working, or molds for forming the finished butter.