Does anyone make homemade butter?

[marmalade]

I went to the grocery store yesterday and grabbed a pound of butter and last week the price was $3.79 up from $2.99 just a year ago but it is now $4.29/lb.

Butter has officially crossed over from being an affordable staple in my house and is now considered a luxury item.

So does anyone have any tips on making your own butter at home? I found this recipe that I am going to try http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/12/how-to-make-butter.html.

 

[DaretoDis]

Butter is one of those items I just buy when it's on sale. I just picked up a pound at Smith's (Kroger) this past week for $2.99. Maybe just modify your shopping habits and stock up when it's on sale.

 

[havaneselover]

Interesting timing. I was googling this this morning after watching them make goat butter on Amazing Race.

I have a Kitchen Aid and I'm tempted. The directions look fairly straight forward and you can freeze it.

ETA: I buy 4 lbs. at Costco for $12. It used to be $8.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Reason for price increase is timing. You are in the baking season for the holidays. I usually make sure I have all the baking supplies I need in early Sept. because of the price spike.

 

[havaneselover]

Reason for price increase is timing. You are in the baking season for the holidays. I usually make sure I have all the baking supplies I need in early Sept. because of the price spike.

No, last year at this time I was paying $8 for 4 lb. at Costco.

 

[sheetz]

The price of butter is the highest I have ever seen. Last year I was buying a pound for $2 or less but now even the sale price is $3.50. I've heard more US butter is being exported so there's less for domestic consumption, hence the higher prices.

 

[fairyjess]

I've made it and it is very easy, but you don't save much and it tastes exactly the same as store bought. Easier to wait until it is on sale and stock up. As someone else mentioned, it freezes well.

 

[marmalade]

Reason for price increase is timing. You are in the baking season for the holidays. I usually make sure I have all the baking supplies I need in early Sept. because of the price spike.

Right after I posted this I came across this article, this has nothing to do with the baking season.

http://wivb.com/2014/10/31/why-is-the-price-of-butter-so-high/

 

[3boymthr]

I've made it and it is very easy, but you don't save much and it tastes exactly the same as store bought. Easier to wait until it is on sale and stock up. As someone else mentioned, it freezes well.

I've made it and it's very easy and you can easily mold it into pretty shape patties for the holidays -BUT check the price of heavy cream. Last time I went to buy it for a recipe it was $3.99 for a quart which equates to a much more expensive butter than store bought - of course there are no additives in the butter you make at home.

BTW - homemade butter is much whiter than the store bought. if you want your homemade butter to be a prettier color you can add a little carrot juice or yellow food color.

ETA if you are making it in your mixer and not a food processor make sure to lay a towel over the top of the mixer while blending otherwise the butter milk will spatter everywhere.

 

[manning]

Go to youtube and search for making butter.

There are videos on how to do it.

 

[tvguy]

A former co-worker a hand churner that you shake to make butter. Basically just a glass jar. She has a 30 minute commute, and uses it as an arm exercise on the way home from work and when she gets home, she has fresh churned butter to put on her organic veggies for dinner.
She does get some funny looks through driving home.

 

[Steph01002]

It is more expensive for us to make it ourselves because of the price of heavy cream. When we do make it, we put it in a cleaned out peanut butter container and take turns shaking it. We use the Jif containers because of the screw top lid, and plastic so if a kid drops it.

 

[crisi]

Yep, its one of those things that is likely to cost you more to make than buy. But it can be fun to make.

 

[worm761]

I have the kids make it at Thanksgiving every year. I sterilize marbles and baby food jars. They have fun doing it.

 

[ellochka]

I worked for a milk company way back after college. I would not make butter to save on cost. Butter is a loss leader. The companies make money on low fat milk, which is in demand, and leaves a lot of fat unused and basically worthless (milk is 3.6-4.0% fat on average, so it takes ~3 gallons to make a pound of butter). They try to compensate for the cost through other high fat products such as heavy cream and sour cream, but there is still plenty left over.

 

[tvguy]

I worked for a milk company way back after college. I would not make butter to save on cost. Butter is a loss leader. The companies make money on low fat milk, which is in demand, and leaves a lot of fat unused and basically worthless (milk is 3.6-4.0% fat on average, so it takes ~3 gallons to make a pound of butter). They try to compensate for the cost through other high fat products such as heavy cream and sour cream, but there is still plenty left over.

Wow, that is far different than I have ever heard. The fat is where the profit is. That's why non-fat milk is $1 a gallon cheaper than whole milk. And heavy cream is $6 a half gallon compared to $1.79 for a half gallon of non-fat.

 

[ellochka]

Wow, that is far different than I have ever heard. The fat is where the profit is. That's why non-fat milk is $1 a gallon cheaper than whole milk. And heavy cream is $6 a half gallon compared to $1.79 for a half gallon of non-fat.

It depends on how you account for it. The marginal cost of product is the lowest cost you have to accept for it. For example, $4 for a pound of butter (not the lowest price), which is a bit over 80% fat means that the price equivalent would be $1.60 for a gallon of 4% milk (pound of butter in fat content - 2.5 gallons of milk). The price of fat in other products like heavy cream, sour cream, and cream cheese is higher, this is why they are more profitable.

What I did for that company was a linear optimization to determine true value of fat vs no-fat milk. They used to think all money was in the fat - turned out the opposite. The "in between" products were most profitable (but not a lot of volume), and the prices of the non-fat needed to go up. The leftover fat was worth the transportation and sales costs.

 

[ronandannette]

I have the kids make it at Thanksgiving every year. I sterilize marbles and baby food jars. They have fun doing it.

Wow, how times change - this was actually a "punishment" my DGrandma handed out to any kid that dared to complain about being bored in her presence.

 

[tvguy]

It depends on how you account for it. The marginal cost of product is the lowest cost you have to accept for it. For example, $4 for a pound of butter (not the lowest price), which is a bit over 80% fat means that the price equivalent would be $1.60 for a gallon of 4% milk (pound of butter in fat content - 2.5 gallons of milk). The price of fat in other products like heavy cream, sour cream, and cream cheese is higher, this is why they are more profitable.

What I did for that company was a linear optimization to determine true value of fat vs no-fat milk. They used to think all money was in the fat - turned out the opposite. The "in between" products were most profitable (but not a lot of volume), and the prices of the non-fat needed to go up. The leftover fat was worth the transportation and sales costs.

I volunteered at the Food Bank and the local dairies always are donating more non-fat milk than they can ever use. Despite Doctors saying everyone after age 2 should be drinking non-fat milk, the clients all wanted whole milk.
Also done more than one story on dairies just pouring non-fat milk down the drain because the profit is in the fat they pulled out, not the milk.

 

[Holly Quinlan]

I make it around the holidays but it doesn't save me money actually it usually costs more