“At first the splashes of cream showed thick and smooth….After a long time, they began to look grainy. Then Ma churned more slowly, and on the dash there began to appear tiny grains of yellow butter.”
In Little House in the Big Woods, Laura recalls how she and Mary would help Ma make homemade butter. Not only would they churn it in a butter churn, but then they would color it with carrot juice, and mold it into pretty shapes for their visitors. Making the butter beautiful was a nice touch that Ma added to the butter-making process. But for all her extra touches, making simple homemade butter with kids is quite easy.
You only need a few supplies and some willing helpers with strong arms to enjoy this time-honored tradition. It’s the perfect family fun activity, so you can pass the jar around when one person’s arms get tired. It’s also an excellent complement to your reading of the Little House books.
Supplies for Making Homemade Butter
- 1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Mason Jar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Marbles (optional)
Instructions for Making Butter With Kids
Step One
Pour cold heavy whipping cream into the mason jar. Make sure you only fill it half way so that there’s plenty of room to shake the liquid around. If you’re pressed for time, use a few clean marbles inside the jar to make the whole process move more quickly. Don’t worry if you don’t have marbles available; the butter will just take a little bit longer to form.
Step Two
Secure the lid and begin shaking. Depending on many factors (ultra-pasteurization, marbles, strength), this step may take anywhere from 8 – 15 minutes of continuous shaking. This is where it’s helpful to have multiple participants.
Step Three
About halfway through, you’ll begin to hear a difference in the shaking sound. Go ahead and open up the container to show the kids that it’s working! You should be able to see the beginning of the butter and the buttermilk separating. Add salt, put the lid back on, and keep shaking!
Step Four
Once you feel like there’s a solid mass shaking around in the jar, the butter should be done. Use a strainer to separate the butter from the buttermilk and transfer each to their own container. Butter will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator, so it’s a good idea to make a batch of biscuits and use up that butter quickly!
Hope you have fun making homemade butter! It’s a great way to teach children how food was made before the modern conveniences of grocery stores. If you make your butter and some fresh biscuits ahead of time, they would be a great complement to a Little House on the Prairie inspired picnic.
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I overmixed whipping cream a time or 2 and turned out fine. was a little on the sweet side- no sugar added. I will try salt next time
I just made some butter today in my stand mixer-didn’t get too much because I only had a pint of cream in the fridge.Usually I buy at least 2 quarts of cream if I’m going to make it.I’m also making some homemade bread to have it with.
Quick question…
How much butter and buttermilk is made by one recipe, please? We are trying to plan an event for a few hundred children.
Thank you!
I have used this method several times around the Holidays , then put it in molds. It was lots of fun, looks nice on a family table.
We make butter in a ball jar using a small, washed, clean stone for resistance instead of a marble now. The marble, being made of
glass, can chip when being shaken up in the glass jar.
We found it pretty quick to make the butter with no resistance but noticed it did go even quicker with the stone.
Can you make this recipe in a blender, or using a hand mixer?
Yes you can, it’s much quicker and easier. I’ve done it several times, just make sure you you put your blender on high speed. Check every 3minutes of blending to ensure all cream is blending. Be sure to rinse the with cold water and squeeze the butter a little to remove excess buttermilk.
Could you use a hand mixer also. Looking forward to trying this either way. ☺
I say yes…although I haven’t tried. My butter churn is essentially a hand mixer (powered by hand, not electric) in a Mason jar. 10 minutes I have butter. The buttermilk is a perfect byproduct that can be used for buttermilk biscuits.
How much salt is required ?