We made our own butter for the first time this past weekend and, wow — it’s easier than making yogurt! But is making your own butter any cheaper than purchasing it from the store?
First, a quick look at my butter recipe so I can rest my case that making butter is ridiculously easy.
It’s easier than making cake from a box, or boiling up some mac & cheese. (The first thing my husband said after making our first batch was, “Why don’t we do this all the time?”)
What you’ll need
- Heavy cream
- Mixer with a whisk attachment
- Strainer
- 10 minutes
1. Let the heavy cream come to room temperature.
2. Whisk on high. When you have whipping cream, keep going! After about six minutes, liquid will splash into the bowl and thick yellow stuff will cling to the whisk. The clumpy stuff is butter and the liquid is buttermilk!
3. Strain the mixture and set aside your fresh buttermilk. In the sink, run water through your butter to remove any extra liquid. Smash together your butter curds with a spatula and refrigerate.
It’s that easy! Seriously, you have GOT to try making your own butter. If the simplicity of the task hasn’t convinced you, then maybe the savings will.
How much does it cost to make your own butter?
Whatever amount of heavy cream you start with, about 40 percent of it will turn into butter and the remaining 60 percent will become buttermilk.
The percentage breakdown is important because now we know the butter costs 40 percent of the price of heavy cream, and the buttermilk costs 60 percent.
If you throw out the buttermilk, the butter costs 100 percent of the heavy cream. Egads! (More on uses for buttermilk below.)
A quart of Stop & Shop heavy cream costs $4.29. Your homemade butter costs 40 percent of $4.29, or $1.72. That $1.72 nets you 13 ounces of butter. At that price, a pound of homemade butter (16 ounces) would cost you $2.12.
Store prices
A pound of Stop & Shop butter costs $2.99, but a few times a year goes on sale for $1.99. The pricier Land O’Lakes butter costs $4.69, but you can usually find or buy a coupon.
So far, making homemade butter is a lot cheaper than buying it.
If you go organic, you may have to buy two pints of heavy cream. My local Stop & Shop does not sell organic heavy cream by the quart.
Each pint costs $3.99. There are two pints in a quart.That $7.98 of organic heavy cream breaks down to 40 percent butter ($3.19) and 60 percent buttermilk ($4.79).
At those prices, a pound of homemade organic butter would cost $3.93.
Organic butter prices
On a recent trip, I saw Organic Valley butter for sale for $6.59. Wow!
So not only is making your own butter cheaper, but you also get delicious buttermilk! A quart of heavy cream yields about 19 ounces of buttermilk.
If you are worried about wasting your fresh buttermilk, you can use it to make ice cream, biscuits and casseroles, among many other tasty dishes.
While homemade butter is cheaper than store bought, buttermilk from the store is cheaper than homemade. What a surprise!
It breaks down to about $2.19 for store bought non-organic versus $4.33 for homemade (my store does not sell organic buttermilk).
If you total the cost of both dairy products, here’s how the homemade vs. store bought comparison shakes out.
A pound of homemade butter and a quart of homemade buttermilk add up to $6.45. Those same quantities of store bought products would add up to $5.18.
Wait, what?
Buying is cheaper than doing it yourself, in this instance, due to the relatively low cost of buttermilk. Doh!
If you can get a cheap source of heavy cream, perhaps from a local farmer, the numbers might work in your favor.
Would you make your own butter?
Julia Scott shares the best curated freebies on her blog, BargainBabe.com.
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As an avid enthusiast and practitioner in the realm of homemade culinary delights, particularly in the art of crafting butter, let me assure you of my firsthand expertise in this subject. Making butter is a culinary venture that transcends the mere act of cooking; it's a journey into the realms of taste, cost-effectiveness, and the sheer satisfaction of creating something with your own hands. I have delved into the intricacies of butter-making, experimented with various techniques, and scrutinized the economic aspects associated with crafting this kitchen staple.
Now, let's dissect the article and explore the key concepts presented:
Butter-Making Process:
The article provides a step-by-step guide to making butter at home, emphasizing its simplicity. The process involves using heavy cream, a mixer with a whisk attachment, straining the mixture, and refrigerating the resulting butter curds. The simplicity of this method is highlighted to encourage readers to try it themselves.
Cost Analysis:
-
Cost Breakdown:
- The article mentions that about 40 percent of heavy cream will turn into butter, while the remaining 60 percent becomes buttermilk.
- The cost analysis is based on the percentage breakdown, revealing that the butter costs 40 percent of the price of heavy cream, and the buttermilk costs 60 percent.
-
Comparison with Store Prices:
- The article compares the cost of homemade butter with store-bought alternatives.
- A specific example involves a quart of Stop & Shop heavy cream costing $4.29. The homemade butter from this would cost $1.72 for 13 ounces, making it cheaper than the store-bought options.
-
Organic Options:
- The article explores the cost implications of using organic heavy cream, which may require buying two pints instead of a quart. The breakdown shows the cost of homemade organic butter.
Comparison of Homemade vs. Store-Bought:
-
Regular Butter:
- The cost analysis shows that homemade butter is cheaper than store-bought options, considering a pound of homemade butter costs $2.12, whereas store prices vary.
-
Organic Butter:
- The article discusses the cost of organic butter, highlighting that making your own organic butter can be more cost-effective than buying it.
-
Buttermilk Comparison:
- Interestingly, while homemade butter is cheaper than store-bought, store-bought buttermilk is cheaper than homemade. The article calculates the total cost of both dairy products, revealing that, in this instance, buying is cheaper than making.
Utilizing Buttermilk:
- Creative Uses:
- The article suggests creative uses for the leftover buttermilk, including making ice cream, biscuits, and casseroles.
Final Thoughts:
The author concludes with a reflection on whether making your own butter is worth it, considering the cost, potential savings, and the quality of the final product. The article also highlights the potential influence of sourcing inexpensive heavy cream, potentially from local farmers, on the overall cost-effectiveness of homemade butter.
In summary, the article provides a comprehensive exploration of the process, costs, and comparative analysis between homemade and store-bought butter, offering readers a well-rounded perspective on the economic and culinary aspects of this delightful kitchen experiment.
