Producing butter involves churning cream until the milk fat solidifies into butter. The process of making butter has been around for thousands of years and was once done entirely by hand. Today, most butter is produced using machines, but the basic principles remain the same.

The first step in butter production is separating the cream from the milk. This can be done naturally by allowing the milk to sit and letting the cream rise to the top, or it can be done mechanically using a centrifuge. The cream is then pasteurized to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present.

Once the cream has been pasteurized, it is churned. Churning can be done using a variety of methods, including using a hand-cranked churn or an electric mixer. As the cream is agitated, the milk fat solids begin to clump together and separate from the liquid buttermilk.

The clumps of milk fat are then removed and kneaded together to form butter. The butter is usually washed to remove any remaining buttermilk, which can cause the butter to spoil more quickly. Salt may also be added to the butter for flavor and preservation.

After the butter is made, it is packaged and shipped to stores for consumers to purchase and enjoy.