Homemade butter uses cream (I chose a local, organic whipping cream from Harmony Organics) and salt. So, in terms of real ingredients, store bought and homemade butter are pretty much on par, I’d say.
What about the price? Well, the price for a 1 litre carton of the organic whipping cream that I used to make my butter is comparable to a package of butter from the store, and makes about the same amount. However, after making the butter, I have liquid buttermilk left over that I can use to make pancakes. So, homemade butter just edges out store bought butter in terms of price, since you get more bang for your buck, so to speak.
So far, homemade butter has an ever-so-slight edge over store-bought. Still, there’s nothing inherently wrong with store-bought butter. When you factor in the ease and convenience of just picking up a package from the grocery store, I would say homemade and store-bought butter are pretty much neck-and-neck.
So again I ask, is it worth it to make your own butter?
Well there is one more thing we haven’t considered: the fun factor. It is SO MUCH FUN to make your own butter! I don’t know what it is, but there is something so satisfying in starting with cream, doing a whole of shaking, and ending up with a creamy, spreadable, tasty butter. It’s also really cool just being able to say, “I made my own butter.” The fact that it is slightly cheaper, and a little more natural than store-bought is just an added bonus. For those of you who are worried about spending a big chunk of time and muscle power churning, and churning, and churning, have no fear. All you need is a food processor! |
In the meantime, whatever your reason for considering making your own butter, I highly recommend it. If not for any other reason than the sheer enjoyment of it. Happy churning!