Making Butter at Home

Making butter at home is surprisingly simple and really satisfying! All you need is some heavy cream—and maybe a pinch of salt if you want salted butter. Start by pouring the cream into a mixing bowl, blender, or food processor.

If you want a workout and have an old butter churn use this. Just don’t fill it up too much because the cream will expand as you whip it. Now, whip the cream at medium-high speed. At first, it’ll turn into whipped cream (which is already pretty tempting to stop at!), but keep going. After a few minutes, you’ll see it separate into a liquid (buttermilk) and solid butter. That’s when you know it’s ready.

Once it separates, you’ll need to strain it. Just pour the whole thing through a strainer or cheesecloth to collect the buttermilk. By the way, you can totally save that buttermilk for baking—it’s great for pancakes or biscuits! Now, take the butter and rinse it under cold water. Gently knead it with your hands or a spatula while rinsing until the water runs clear. This step is important because it removes any leftover buttermilk, which helps your butter stay fresh longer.

Here’s the fun part: flavoring! If you like salted butter, sprinkle in a pinch of salt and mix it in. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can add herbs, garlic, or even a touch of honey for something extra special. Once you’re happy with it, shape your butter into a ball or press it into a container. Pop it in the fridge, and it’ll keep for about a week or two—or freeze it if you want to save it for later.

And that’s it! You’ve made your own butter without the coloring and preservatives. It’s fresh, delicious, and feels like such an accomplishment. Plus, it’s always fun to share with family or friends—they’ll be impressed, I promise!

2025 All-America Selections

The 2025 All-America Selections (AAS) winners include outstanding vegetable and flower varieties chosen for their superior garden performance through trials across North America. Here are some highlights:

Vegetables:

1. Kohlrabi Konstance F1 – A National Winner is known for its uniform bulbs and sweet flavor, ideal for fresh eating or cooking. Holds well to give a longer harvest. You can eat the leaves roasted or sauteed.

2. Pepper Pick-N-Pop Yellow F1 – A compact, high-yielding plant producing flavorful yellow peppers. Extra sweet and very prolific.

3. Squash Green Lightning F1—This is a vibrant green zucchini with excellent disease resistance and productivity. It is early in maturity.

4. Squash Thriller F1 – Another National Winner, known for its strikingly patterned fruits and vigorous growth. A dumpling type of winter squash maturing 75-80 days after planting.

5. Tomato Tonatico F1 – A Regional Winner for its adaptability and rich, robust flavor. Less fruit cracking for a cherry tomato.

2025 All-America Selections

The 2025 All-America Selections (AAS) winners include outstanding vegetable and flower varieties chosen for their superior garden performance through trials across North America. Here are some highlights:

Flowers:

  1. Zinnia Zydeco Fire – A fiery orange zinnia with large, disease-resistant blooms. Blooming with large flowers up to frost. A little larger than other zinnias of this type.
  1. Dianthus Capitan Magnifica – Praised for heat tolerance and long-lasting pink blooms. Cut back after blooming for another burst of blooms.
  1. Marigold Mango Tango – A bright orange and yellow marigold ideal for containers. A bi-colored red and yellow flower on compact plants.
  1. Snapdragon DoubleShot Yellow Red Heart F1 – A snapdragon with striking red and yellow flowers, performs well in diverse climates. Holds well during the hot summer. Also has a candy-like aroma.

    5. Petunia Shake Rasberry – Blooms of raspberry swirled with lemon-lime colors. Compact growth makes them a good selection for containers.

      For more details on these varieties and others, you can visit the All-America Selections website.