Pour the heavy cream into a clean jar or bowl.

Add a splash (about 1/8 to 1/4 cup) of cultured buttermilk to the cream. Stir gently to combine.

Cover the jar loosely with a lid or cloth and let it sit at room temperature for 24-48 hours. You’ll know it's ready when the cream has thickened and has a fresh, buttery aroma with a slight tang (like mild yogurt or crème fraîche).

Pour the cultured cream into your stand mixer, food processor, or use a hand mixer.

Mix on medium-low speed for about 15-20 minutes. At first, the cream will turn into whipped cream, but keep going until the butter begins to separate from the liquid (buttermilk).

You’ll notice the butter will clump together and separate from the buttermilk as you continue churning. Once it forms into a mass, stop the mixer.

Once the butter has been separated, strain off the buttermilk into a clean container. This is the magic liquid you’ll use for your recipes!

You can store the fresh buttermilk in the fridge for about a week.

Butter doesn't have to be washed, provided you use it within a few days. To prolog the shelf life of the butter you get when making buttermilk, wash it in very cold water to get out every last bit of buttermilk.

To wash, work the butter gently with a spoon while running cold water over it until the water runs clear.

If you’ve made butter, now you have a batch of the creamiest, freshest homemade butter. If you’ve just made buttermilk, it’s ready to be used in baking, cooking, or even as a tangy addition to dressings.