I was amazed again at how easy it is to make butter. I have made butter before and I am always surprised at how good something so simple can be.
This time I decided to add some kefir grains to the cream the day before to see if that would change the taste or texture of the butter.
I started with one quart of pasteurized whipping cream and about two tablespoons of kefir grains. Stir the grains into the cream in a jar, cover and let sit at room temperature for 18-24 hours.
The next day, the change in the cream is amazing! It thickened to the point that I was able to spoon it out of the jar. It was so thick it would not pour. After straining out the kefir grains, the texture was silky smooth. I had to use a spoon to push the cream through the strainer. Return the cream back to the refrigerator overnight to slow down the kefir cultures growth.
The cultured cream was the consistency of sour cream after chilling. Spoon this into your mixer and cover with lid if possible. Mix on high for about one minute. Pay close attention as the cream will quickly change and begin to separate. As separation begins you may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.
Once separation has begun, turn the speed down on your mixer or your buttermilk will splash everywhere. Keep mixing until the butter comes together nicely.
Transfer your butter to a bowl of cold water to wash. Knead the butter with a spoon or by hand to get as much of the buttermilk out of the butter. If any buttermilk is left in the butter, it will not last nearly as long (spoil). Change out your water until it remains clear. Drain off the water and continue to knead to force out any remaining water. You can now add salt if desired. I added about 1/8 teaspoon to this batch. Knead it into the butter until it is completely dissolved.
Form the butter into a log shape and wrap with wax paper. You can use the butter immediately or freeze for later use. You will also have about two cups of delicious buttermilk as a byproduct of this process.
Now to bake some yummy buttermilk biscuits to use the butter with!