Homemade Butter
Inspired by the butter brought to our table during Nick's birthday dinner at In Season, I whipped up this version at home. I had a pint of fresh cream that needed to be used, so I tossed it in my food processor along with some freshly grated orange zest, a little honey and a pinch of sea salt. Next I turned on the Cuisinart and let that thing spin until I had butter. It probably only took 5 minutes, tops. That is the easy part of making butter. So easy, in fact, that it leaves me feeling a little guilty when I think of women from past generations and their hours of hand churning. Perhaps in part to make up for that, the next step is a little more tedious. The liquid must be completely removed from the fat. The first step involves pressing out the liquid with a cheesecloth. Once I had squeezed out as much liquid as I could, I unwrapped the butter and continued to squeeze it back and forth between my hands while rinsing it under cold running water. My experiences with homemade butter in the past have included the rapid onset of rancidity, which can best be avoided by squeezing out as much of the liquid from the fat as possible. I can never seem to get quite all of it out, so I also store this in the fridge instead of my butter bell. The finished product is super tasty, especially when paired with some yummy apple cinnamon walnut bread.
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