Still baking bread? Why not try making homemade butter too – it’s super easy and tastes great!
Making our own butter has always been a favorite science experiment at our house. The kids never seize to be amazed at how shaking cream in a jar with a marble can turn into a delicious treat we spread on our bread! Making butter from scratch is super easy and so much fun for kids of all ages. All you need is some heavy cream, a mason jar with a lid, a marble (optional) and a little patience!
Ingredients and Materials:
- Mason Jar & lid
- Heavy Cream
- pinch of salt
- clean marble
Directions:
- Fill your mason jar half-full with Heavy Cream
- Add a pinch of salt and a clean marble (the marble is just a fun idea that helps churn the cream into butter and add some extra fun when the kids shake it up)!
- Put on the lid and shake it up. The marble will click around and when you don’t hear it anymore or it starts to thud, your butter should be done! The whole process should take about 10 minutes depending on how vigorously you shake the jar and how much cream you have put in.
- You’re butter is done once you see a clump of butter has separated from the buttermilk! Carefully pour out the buttermilk and save for later use (great for baking).
- Put the butter in a bowl and rinse with cold water, carefully squeeze it to get the remaining buttermilk out.
- Spread your butter on some fresh bread or muffins and Enjoy! (The butter will last in the fridge for about 5-7 days, but it will probably be eaten up before then)!
The Science Behind Homemade Butter
When whole milk is left uncovered in the refrigerator tiny fat molecules float to the top, forming a layer of heavy cream. This cream can be separated from the milk and used to make butter. When you shake heavy cream in the mason jar, the agitation causes the fat molecules in the cream to clump together. During this process, the water molecules separate from the solid mass and create buttermilk. The cream goes through a physical change when it is churned into butter.
Some Great Informational Books for younger kids on Dairy Farming:
Here’s a great educational demonstration about making butter in the early 18th century by the Townsends.
Have Fun In The Kitchen Making an Edible Science 18th Century Treat!
Be The Route 