There are many different butter brands available in stores, either salted or unsalted, creamy or spreadable, that it can be hard to find something that is just good, simple, and friendly for the environment.  Butter in the grocery generally comes with four individually wrapped portions, inside a cardboard box.  Those wrappers are normally wax paper, and are unable to be recycled.  If you go through a lot of butter in your household, that also means a lot of waste.  Here is a simple recipe to make your own butter at home, which will not only save you from that waste, but also save you some money.

This recipe allows for a lot of creativity and experimentation.  Make a starter batch to see how it turns out, and then add different herbs to make your butter unique and delicious.

To start, put in 1-2 cups of heavy whipping cream into a stainless steel bowl or stand-mixer bowl.  Add 1-2 pinches of salt (optional).  Beat the cream on medium high speed with a whipping attachment, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically.  Whip the cream until you get "soft peaks" and keep going until it resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes and is slightly yellow. 

After one more minute of whipping, the cream will get grainy and more yellow, and liquid will separate into the bottom of the bowl.  Turn your mixing speed down to medium or low.  As it lumps together, buttermilk will start to pool.  Remove the buttermilk and use it for baking, or making homemade ranch.  Place your lump of butter into a clean bowl, run a little water over it and knead it with your hands for a few minutes.  Change out the water every few minutes until it runs clear.

Put your butter in wax paper and put it in the refrigerator.  You can also put it in ice cube molds so it's already in pads, or in silicone baking molds.  This is also where you could stir in dried herbs.

Making your own butter at home can be a fun family project.  On top of the benefits of being eco-friendly, it is also friendly on the wallet.  You'll cut down the carbon footprint on your butter by making it at home, since you won't have all the wrapping and cardboard, as well as the cooling and shipping costs.  You will also have butter that isn't filled with preservatives and chemicals to make it last longer.