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This was given to me by my grandmother....given to her by her mother-in-law...my great-grandmother! I'm always proud to use it and carry on traditions.

I cut the butterball in half and place it in a plastic lined bowl. If not using plastic, I simply heat the bowl a bit with warm water to let the butter slip out.

A quart of heavy cream, the mixer and cookie dough attachment. If you cannot get cream from a farm, you can purchase a quart from the supermarket too.....I've used Garelick with satisfactory results.

Allow the cream to warm a few hours out of the fridge before beginning.

This bowl cover comes in handy when the butter globules form and the buttermilk starts sloshing. I've been called away from the mixer for less than a minute, only to return to find buttermilk splashed on the upper and lower cabinets, window, stove, sink and floor! Never- ever leave the mixer when it is approaching the critical falling stage!(see below).

Pour the cream into the mixer and put on level 2. I've done it on Stir but it took too long, and level 3 caught me off guard (I usually cook supper and do some dishes while making butter, so level 2 fits into my schedule nicely--about 20-25 minutes before the butter forms. Feel free to adjust!) This photo is about 10 minutes into the process.

This photo is about 15-20 minutes into the process. Basically you've got whipped cream! If you had added sweetener earlier....yum! Notice the bowl is "filling" up. That is why I only do a quart at a time....you must leave room for expansion. Stay near the mixer now!

Here you see the globules forming, and the bubbly mass "falling". Here's my understanding of the process (feel free to contact me with a better explanation.) Fat is lighter than water/liquid. As air bubbles form, it helps lift the fat away from the liquid. The fat globules eventually join each other (ever watch that happen in greasy dish water?). Eventually the growing fat globs get too heavy for the bubbles, and they pop! Your fluffy volume falls quickly, and your fat globules are now conveniently stuck together! You'll hear a sloshing sound now. Once it looks like this, you can shut the mixer off! Conveniently, most of the butter is stuck to the attachment! I pour the buttermilk back into the (rinsed) quart container and put it in the fridge. There's usually about 1/2 quart left...just the right amount for buttermilk pancakes! (Recipe at the end of this "lesson"). While pouring the buttermilk into the quart container, I put my hand at the rim of the mixer bowl to catch and hold back any remaining butter globules. Add those to the rest of the butter and place in a large bowl to begin the rinsing process. Using COLD water squeeze and squish the butter. You are trying to get out as much buttermilk as possible....this is what causes butter to "go bad" quicker. You'll need to change the water several times, until your squishing produces no more buttermilk and the water remains clear. It takes about 3-5 minutes.

Remove the butter and dry your bowl. At this point you can add ingredients to flavor your butter. Traditionally salt was added to help preserve the butter. With modern refrigeration, it isn't necessary....but most people prefer the taste. Mixing takes a while to be sure it is evenly mixed. Use a spoon, the heat from your hands would quickly make the process messy! I spread it around in the bowl, and use a "smearing" action to do my mixing.

Now you have a good sized butterball! You can simply leave it as is, cut it in half to create two domes, or mold it in a butter press.

After creating home-made butter, it deserves a special dish!

It is little things like this that bring small moments of joy in my day. Whenever I lift the dome for butter, I'm reminded of my family.