I’ve been reading a few more crunchy blogs lately and have been inspired to expand upon my own crunchiness by making my own butter. Crunchy Chicken made it sound easy peasy on her other blog Crunchy Chicken Cooks, and my friend Julie also tried it with much success, so I decided we should have a go at it ourselves.
All you need to make your own butter is:
- A pint of heavy whipping cream
- A Mason jar with a lid
Then shake, shake, shake your way to delicious fresh butter.
Before:
The helpers shake it up:
After:
And on some homemade blueberry bread (made with the buttermilk that is leftover from making the butter):
I’d never had fresh butter before, but it really is delicious! :)
We speculate that the cream we got from our local dairy was not heavy whipping cream because it actually took us longer than 20 minutes to make the butter. The first time I thought it was because we let the kids help, but the second time I did most of the shaking myself and it still took a lot longer than 20 minutes. I think the next time I’m just going to pick up a pint of organic heavy whipping cream at the store.
You can read the full step by step instructions with pictures on Crunchy Chicken’s cooking blog. The last step that is optional (and that she did not include) is to add some salt to it if you prefer salted butter.
Next up for the Crunchy Domestic Goddess is making yogurt! I just need to get myself a candy thermometer and then I’m all over it. :)
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Also, just want to add that I’m writing for Blissfully Domestic now as the “Eco Diva.” My first post all about recycling is up today!
And while you are blog hopping, check out AllTop.com, a new project by Guy Kawasaki “that provides ‘all the top’ stories for 40 of the most popular topics on the Web. The headlines and first paragraph of the five most recent stories from 40 to 80 sources for each topic are displayed.”
Stumble it!
Justine says:
We are going to try this the next time we bake fresh bread or muffins. Sounds fun…and somehow healthier.
March 13th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Monica -- books are our friends says:
hey, geek, I saw all those comments at the party post and scrolled back up here. ;)
I’m enjoying following you on that crazy Twitter. I’ll be back to learn more Earth stuff (green is my favorite color).
March 13th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Monica -- books are our friends says:
one more thing… can you make the butter in a stand mixer with the beater attachment?
March 13th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Nicole says:
I cheated and made mine with my hand blender! Then used the buttermilk to make pancakes. Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!! So good!
March 13th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Joy says:
I love that you are taking the time to rediscover the “homemade arts” with your children! At http://www.greenbabyguide.com we are similarly obsessed with making all sorts of things from scratch. We are currently twiddling with using natural ingredients to create color washes for dyed Easter eggs.
March 13th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Ethel says:
This sounds like a great activity to do with kids! I’m passing this on to my DH, who stays home with our toddlers, and the homeschooling crowd that I am friends with – who could make a great science lesson out of this, and probably a nutrition lesson as well!
March 13th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Rebecca says:
That looks awesome!
March 13th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Adventures In Babywearing says:
Mmmm… homemade blueberry bread! Next time I visit my family out by you, you MUST have me over for dinner! : )
Steph
March 13th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
chelle says:
That is BY FAR the coolest thing ever! So on my must try list now! Thank you for sharing.
March 13th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Ninotchka says:
Wow! Even *I* could do that (and as you know I’m the shortcut queen). Very cool. I bet my older two would love to help! Thx.
March 13th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Stephanie says:
Ive made butter before! It’s fun and it tastes great! :)
March 13th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Summer says:
Mmmm, butter. I might have to try making it if it’s really that easy.
March 13th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Mandy says:
love the pics of the kiddos helping! I love it when my daughter helps in the kitchen!
March 13th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Embejo says:
Thanks for posting this. Will definitely try this. I’ve made butter (by accident) before, but never knew the full instructions. Fantastic!
March 13th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
phyllis says:
now this looks like fun! what a great project…it looks so easy and yet so delicious:-)
March 13th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
jen says:
Found you through the Ultimate Blog Party.
Did you let your cream sit on the counter for a bit to warm up before shaking? That might decrease the time it takes. (We made butter here just a couple of weeks ago – fun and yummy!)
March 13th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Shay says:
I remember doing that in grade three when we did a unit on Pioneers. It was very yummy butter!
March 13th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
halloweenlover says:
I’m so excited! I’m totally going to try this over the weekend! Wheee!
March 13th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Janne says:
We make honey butter when we go to reenactments. The children, while they are sitting around the campfire, take turns passing around the Mason jar of cream and shaking it.
There is nothing like fresh butter. Mmmmm.
March 14th, 2008 at 5:15 am
My Sea Pod says:
I will have to try this! I’m in the middle of making the pumpkin black bean soup and it smells so good so far. Thanks again!
March 14th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Niecey Docherty says:
Ooh that looks like a great idea! Fun for the kids to be able to join in too. I will definitely give this a go.
I’ve made some yogurt cheese before, some savory and some sweet. it’s easy peasy with greek style yogurt, just add the ingredients (sweetner, ginger, vanilla etc for sweet cheese, or chives etc for savory) , place in a cloth in a sieve and leave it overnight. I *think* that was all there was to it. I haven’t done it in a while. hehe. I loved the sweet stuff though for spreading or for dodding on top of grilled pineapple. Mmmmmmm I’m tellin ya.
March 14th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Melonie (Momma & More) says:
This looks so “doable”! We’ve just finished reading Farmer Boy and my daughter’s been obsessed with wanting to churn butter like the Ingalls and the Wilders. We’ll have to give this a shot. Thanks!
March 14th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Lisa W. says:
Oh wow! Thanks for sharing. I will have to try this out with my kids. :-)
March 14th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Leslie- LaMamaNaturale' says:
A long forgotton method…wow! Easy too! I can’t wait to make some. “Back to Basics” is the way to go! :)
March 14th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Julie says:
Unless you’re having fun doing it by hand in the jar, definitely use your stand mixer! I’ve done it several times with the regular beater (not the whisk) and it is so yummy.
March 14th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Barb Lattin says:
I have wanted to make butter since… well, since before my little one was born. I’ve thought about it and forgotten about it, but now you’ve inspired me! I’m picking up some heavy cream this weekend to make some butter. :D
Funnily, this reminded me of the time my mother “accidentally” made butter when I was a kid. She was trying to make whipped cream. Guess butter is just over-whipped cream. LOL
March 14th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Penny says:
I remember doing this at school :)
Yes… and almost making butter unintentionally while whipping cream too much! LOL!
March 14th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Sherie says:
Too cool! I wonder how a vegan version would turn out? Perhaps I shall try and report back…
March 14th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Sherie says:
Oh, and how cool to be dubbed Eco Diva!! Congrats on yet another exciting writing opportunity. Looking forwad to following you there :-)
March 14th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Heather (Blessedw4mom) says:
Thanks for this post!!!
We’re going to try it!
March 14th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
To Think Is To Create says:
Oh YUM. Go you! Congrats on the new writing gig, too. :)
March 14th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Katie says:
Oh, Oh!! I am so excited to do this!! Thanks! Just found my way over her from BDL … love it!
March 15th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Susan says:
Thanks for the idea:) We just went out to the maple sugar shack today and watched the process…amazing! We not have a “spile” to tap the maple trees in our yard:)
Susan
http://www.orgnaicsyes.mionegroup.com
March 15th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
halloweenlover says:
We made the butter! It was fun and yummy! But then I was trying to demonstrate how sticky and solid the butter was and I dropped it all over the carpet in the living room. Sigh. Not so much fun. Lots of shaking gone to waste.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Sommer says:
I taught preschool and this was such a fun activity. The kids loved eating their hard shaking work!! LOL!
March 16th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Sommer says:
I taught preschool and this was such a fun activity. The kids loved eating their hard shaking work!! LOL!
March 16th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
psuklinkie says:
Mmm, homemade butter.. it’s next on my list! For homemade yogurt, though, I’ve found that I don’t really need a candy thermometer. Using No Impact Man’s “pinky finger test” as a guide, I just feel my way to the correct temperature. Here’s his post about homemade yogurt: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/03/do_a_dance_for_.html
January 6th, 2009 at 3:20 pm