How to make simple homemade butter for about £1 in 10 minutes

# Quick overview cream, a mixer, salt if you want a salted version, and a little cold water. The process takes about 10 minutes of active work, yields butter comparable in taste to store brands, and produces buttermilk you can reuse in recipes.

# Why try this With retail butter prices rising, a 300ml pot of double cream available for around £1 can produce nearly the same quantity of butter as a branded block that costs considerably more. The homemade product tastes fresh, lets you control seasonings, and generates buttermilk for pancakes or coatings.

# Equipment and ingredients

• 300ml tub of double cream
• Stand mixer with whisk attachment (or an electric hand whisk)
• Sieve and bowl or jug to catch buttermilk
• Large bowl with cold water and optional ice
• Wooden spoon and parchment paper for shaping
• Fine sea salt flakes or other seasonings if desired

# Step-by-step method

1. 1Pour the 300ml double cream into the mixer bowl and attach the whisk. Set to medium speed.
2. 2Whisk through soft peaks and then stiff peaks. Continue whisking past the peaks until the mixture separates and liquid sloshes in the bowl. This final stage takes roughly seven minutes in total of whisking for many cooks.
3. 3Turn the mixer off. Strain the liquid buttermilk through a sieve into a jug or bowl. Reserve this buttermilk for pancakes, batter, or other recipes.
4. 4Press the butter firmly to squeeze out remaining liquid. Removing as much buttermilk as possible prevents early spoilage in the fridge.
5. 5Wash the butter by placing it in a bowl of cold water (ice optional) and kneading or changing the water until it runs clear. This step removes residual buttermilk.

# Uses for byproducts and leftovers The strained buttermilk is useful for pancakes and as a coating for chicken. Any leftover seasoned butter makes an attractive, inexpensive homemade gift.

# Taste, yield and cost comparison The piece describes the finished butter as tasting fresher than shop-bought varieties and nearly indistinguishable in texture. A pot of double cream costing about £1 was compared with branded butter like Lurpak, which was retailing for around £5, while yielding nearly the same quantity.

# Storage and shelf life

# Practical notes

• Ice in the wash water is optional but can improve results.

# Bottom line If you have a mixer and can buy double cream for around £1, homemade butter is a quick, inexpensive alternative to pricier supermarket blocks and produces both butter and a useful supply of buttermilk.