This is  a fun hands-on activity to do with kids. We are studying the pioneers/early settlers in our homeschool unit study and this activity fit right in! We all took turns shaking the jar and it was fun to watch it begin to coagulate, turn to buttermilk and then into butter.

All you need is:

– 1 cup organic whipping cream at room temperature (we bought organic to try to get the more pure form of cream, if I you have a cow you could use its cream…but unfortunately most of us do not have that option)

– 1 Mason Jar with secure lid

– 1 bowl and wooden spoon

Here is how we did it:

1. Pour 1 cup of organic cream into a mason jar, tightened the lid and began to shake. (of course it would be much easier to put it in the electric mixer but it was an activity to show the kids what it was like for the early settlers to churn their own butter)

2. After 10 minutes or so of shaking you’ll notice the cream has seperated in to a bluish-white liquid (buttermilk) and yellow clumps (fat). The longer you shake it the more clusters of fat will stick together and soon it will be a large lump in the jar.

3. Pour the butter and buttermilk into a bowl. Carefully pour out the buttermilk, wash the butter with cold water and press against the side of the bowl.

4. Taste the butter and work in a bit of sea salt if you like:) I love the taste of this butter, it tastes pure and doesn’t contain all the additives in the store bought stuff! We don’t really eat butter that often but occassionally use it in baking. Hope you have as much fun as we did!

They were pretty proud of their creation:)