Here is your chance to ignore that rule about not over-beating cream and go straight for the clumps of butter. Unlike commercial butter, which has small amounts of culture added, homemade butter tastes extra sweet and fresh — and so does the buttermilk that’s left over.

Steps

1. Whirl the cream in a food processor until is separates into buttermilk and clumps of butter that look like fluffy scrambled eggs. Then keep whirling until the butter forms bigger clumps. This takes 2 to 3 minutes total.
2. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour the buttermilk and butter into the strainer and let drain briefly. Squeeze the butter with your hands to extract the remaining buttermilk (it’s OK if a little is left).
3. Turn the butter into another bowl and stir in salt to taste, if you like. Both the butter and buttermilk will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.