Fermentation Guide · Beginner

Cultured Butter — How to Make It at Home

How to make cultured butter at home — ferment heavy cream with live cultures, then churn, wash, and shape. Tangy, rich, and ready in 2 days.

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Cultured butter beside butter paddles, cream and separated buttermilk

Updated September 2026 · 8 min read

Cultured butter is cream that has been fermented with live bacteria, then churned. The fermentation step adds the tangy, complex flavour that makes European butter taste different from American sweet cream butter. Making it at home takes about 30 minutes of active work and produces butter that is genuinely better than anything in a shop.

What you need

500ml Heavy cream
3 tbsp Cultured buttermilk
½–1 tsp Fine salt

Equipment: a food processor, stand mixer with whisk, or a jar and strong arms. Fine-mesh strainer. Bowl of ice water for washing.

Method

  1. 1
    Culture the cream Pour the cream into a clean glass jar. Stir in 3 tablespoons of cultured buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live cultures). Cover loosely and leave at room temperature (20–24°C / 68–75°F) for 12–24 hours.
  2. 2
    Check for tang After 12 hours, the cream should have thickened slightly and smell tangy — like crème fraîche. Taste it: it should be pleasantly sour. If it is still bland, give it more time. Once it tastes right, chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour — cold cream churns faster.
  3. 3
    Churn Pour the chilled cultured cream into a food processor and run it. It will go through stages: liquid → whipped cream → grainy → suddenly splits into butter clumps and liquid buttermilk. This takes 3–5 minutes. In a stand mixer with the whisk, drape a towel over the bowl to catch splashes — it takes 5–8 minutes.
  4. 4
    Drain the buttermilk Pour everything through a fine-mesh strainer. Save the buttermilk — it is excellent for baking. Press the butter against the strainer to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  5. 5
    Wash the butter This is the critical step. Put the butter in a bowl of ice water and knead it with your hands or a spatula, pressing and folding. The water will turn milky. Drain and replace with fresh ice water. Repeat 3–4 times until the water stays clear. This removes residual buttermilk that would cause the butter to spoil quickly.
  6. 6
    Season and shape Knead in salt to taste — start with ½ tsp per 500ml of cream. Shape into a log or block, wrap tightly in baking paper or cling film, and refrigerate.

Culture options

Cultured buttermilk The easiest option. Use any brand with "live active cultures" on the label — 2–3 tbsp per 500ml cream. Widely available.
Plain yogurt Use 2 tbsp of plain, unsweetened yogurt with live cultures. Works well and gives a slightly different tang than buttermilk.
Mesophilic starter A cheese-making starter culture (Lactococcus strains) gives the most authentic cultured butter flavour. Follow the sachet instructions for dosing. Available online.

Tips for the best results

Use high-fat cream 35–40% fat produces more butter per volume. Double cream or whipping cream both work. Avoid UHT (ultra-pasteurised) if possible — it cultures more slowly.
Chill before churning cold cream separates into butter and buttermilk much faster. Warm cream just whips endlessly.
Wash thoroughly unwashed butter spoils in days. Keep washing in ice water until the water runs completely clear. This is the single most important step for shelf life.
Add flavours after washing mix in herbs, garlic, honey, or sea salt after the butter is washed and drained. Compound cultured butter is exceptional.

Watch for

  • Do not use ultra-pasteurised cream with "no live cultures" buttermilk — the cream has been heat-treated and the buttermilk has none of the bacteria needed for culturing.
  • Do not culture longer than 24 hours in warm weather — above 26°C the cream can develop off-flavours or go rancid.
  • If the cultured cream smells cheesy or rancid rather than tangy, discard it and start fresh. This usually means it was too warm or contaminated.

What to expect

~200g Butter yield
~250ml Buttermilk yield
2–3 weeks Fridge life
6+ months Freezer life

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is cultured butter?
Cultured butter is butter made from cream that has been fermented with lactic acid bacteria before churning. The fermentation produces lactic acid, giving the butter a tangy, slightly sour, complex flavour. It is the standard butter in most of Europe, where it is often just called 'butter' — American-style sweet cream butter skips the culturing step.
What cultures do I use for cultured butter?
The easiest option is 2–3 tablespoons of cultured buttermilk (with live active cultures) per cup of cream. You can also use plain yogurt with live cultures, or a mesophilic cheese culture sachet. Any source of live Lactococcus or Lactobacillus bacteria works.
How long does the cream need to culture?
12–24 hours at room temperature (20–24°C / 68–75°F). After 12 hours, the cream should have thickened slightly and smell tangy. Longer culturing gives a more pronounced tang. Beyond 24 hours it can become too sour.
Can I churn butter by hand?
Yes — put the cultured cream in a jar, fill it halfway, seal it tightly, and shake vigorously for 10–20 minutes until the butterfat separates into a clump. It is a workout, but it works. A food processor or stand mixer with the whisk attachment is much faster — 3–5 minutes.
Why do I need to wash the butter?
Washing removes residual buttermilk trapped in the butter. If left in, the buttermilk causes the butter to spoil much faster — days instead of weeks. Knead the butter under cold running water or in a bowl of ice water until the water runs clear.
How long does homemade cultured butter last?
Properly washed and salted, cultured butter keeps 2–3 weeks in the fridge and 6+ months in the freezer. Unsalted cultured butter is more perishable — about 1–2 weeks refrigerated. The salt acts as a preservative.
What do I do with the leftover buttermilk?
The cultured buttermilk is a byproduct of churning and is excellent for baking — pancakes, biscuits, scones, soda bread, and marinades. It is tangier and thinner than store-bought buttermilk. Use it within a week, or freeze it.
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