How to make Irish Butter

 

Using a cream that has been cultured, it is possible to make a delightful, luxurious, and authentic Irish butter. The recipe is simple and definitely worth the effort.

Creating butter can be a great activity for when you’re interested in cooking something that isn’t sweet or loaded with sugar.

It takes between 24-48 hours to culture the cream (which is mostly hands-off work) and 15-20 minutes to churn and wash the butter. It’s highly recommended to culture the cream beforehand to give the butter a more complex flavor, but if you’re short on time, you can just make sweet cream butter. To go with homemade butter, quality bread is ideal – like North Country Bread from Stone House Bread

It’s easy to make rich and creamy Irish-style cultured butter at home! Comparable to Keyygold Irish Butter.

Expected Prep Time

5 mins

Expected Culturing Time

1 day

Any Additional Time

20 mins

Total Time

1 day 25 mins

Yields about 6OZ [170G]

Ingredients

• 4 Cups heavy cream (avoid ultra-pasteurized)
• 1/3 Cup buttermilk, without gums or stabilizers
• 4 Cups cold water
• 1 Cup ice
• 1/4 tsp Salt (optional)

Equipment

• Jar
• Cheesecloth
• Thin spatula (that will fit in the jar)
• Stand or hand mixer
• Medium-sized mixing or batter bowl
• Butter dish with lid, bowl or plate and plastic wrap or parchment paper

Instructions

1. To create a cultured cream, mix together buttermilk and heavy cream in a glass jar, covering with a cloth. Allow it to rest at room temperature for a day or two until it thickens and develops a tangy flavor.
2. Before churning the cream, check the temperature of the cream, making sure the cream is about 60F.
3. Using your stand or hand mixer, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Start on low, then turn up to high. Once the cream starts to appear lumpy, reduce the mixer’s speed to a low setting. Stop beating when the cream has separated.
4. In a jar drain off as much of the buttermilk as possible, this can be used at a later date for any other cooking endeavors.
5. Mix the ice and water. Pour 1/2 cup of the cold water over the butter. Use a spatula to press or knead the butter against the side of the bowl. When the water becomes cloudy, drain the liquid. Then repeat the process with another 1/2 cup of water.
6. Repeat until the water remains clear (3-5 times).
7. Knead the butter against the side of the bowl with your hands a few more times to get as much water out of the butter as possible. As an added step, take your butter and run cold water over it.
8. Mix in salt to taste.
9. To preserve the butter, store in an air-tight container or tightly wrap it in parchment paper. It will be good to enjoy for the rest of the week!

Irish butter pairs great on toast, and steamed veggies on the dinner table. Or melting on top of a steak and potatoes.