We made butter today!

[April20]

We're up visiting my family (two graduations- one from kindergarten and one from high school!). We're going to be bringing the niece were keeping back with us Sunday but I have both of them today. They loooove activities so today I thought it would be fun to show them how to make butter. We bought some whipping cream and put it in two mason jars and started shaking. They lasted shaking for all of about three minutes. About fifteen minutes later, after my brother and I took over, we had butter. They loved it! A nice low tech activity that didn't cost a lot of money. Score!

Here's a pic from today's fun.

 

[dk168]

It looked fun!

I found out my Bamix hand-held wand blender could make butter by separating the fat from double cream when I whisked it with the blender blade.

DK

 

[AGBF]

I think that's wonderful, April! I really, really do. It's the kind of activity that people remember having done together. Kudos to you!

Hugs,
Deb

 

[kenny]

How cool!

I love turning back the clock and doing stuff at home that we don't have to do any more.
I wanna get chickens for eggs but the SO says, "NO WAY!"

... but I'm going to keep my clothes washer.

 

[April20]

I remember doing this in the first grade. I was almost the exact same age the older of my nieces is now. I remember being fascinated by it. I did do a quick google check to make sure my vague memory matched up with how it's really done. Thankfully it did! Not bad for a 30 year old memory. Maybe I'll show them how to make cheese next.

 

[April20]

How cool!

I love turning back the clock and doing stuff at home that we don't have to do any more.
I wanna get chickens for eggs but the SO says, "NO WAY!"

... but I'm going to keep my clothes washer.

My brother and his family did have chickens for eggs. They built a house in a neighborhood last year and moved into "town" so no more chickens. They loved it though.

 

[FrekeChild]

Back in culinary school, this guy thought he was hot stuff, and my teacher gave him the job of making 20 quarts of whipped cream.

We had a LOT of butter.

Sadly, his ego did not deflate at all.

 

[AGBF]

Back in culinary school, this guy thought he was hot stuff, and my teacher gave him the job of making 20 quarts of whipped cream.

We had a LOT of butter.

 

[minousbijoux]

I remember doing this in the first grade. I was almost the exact same age the older of my nieces is now. I remember being fascinated by it. I did do a quick google check to make sure my vague memory matched up with how it's really done. Thankfully it did! Not bad for a 30 year old memory. Maybe I'll show them how to make cheese next.

This exactly, though my memory is even older! What a cool thing to do with kids. That, and make ice cream. And rock candy! Love all this!

 

[April20]

I remember doing this in the first grade. I was almost the exact same age the older of my nieces is now. I remember being fascinated by it. I did do a quick google check to make sure my vague memory matched up with how it's really done. Thankfully it did! Not bad for a 30 year old memory. Maybe I'll show them how to make cheese next.

This exactly, though my memory is even older! What a cool thing to do with kids. That, and make ice cream. And rock candy! Love all this!

Ooh. Rock candy. They'd love that. I'll have to put it on the list.

 

[JewelFreak]

And taffy -- we used to make that with our grandmother. It was a blast! The butter is a very cool idea -- I never would've thought of it in a million years.

Kenny -- who's gonna clean out the hen house? When I visited my sister & went to help her clean it up, I took one breath & almost blew lunch. Backed out & said, "I'm the guest. I get to watch." It was truly gross -- & she kept it in good shape. I'm with SO on that hobby!

--- Laurie

 

[Jennifer W]

I remember doing this in the first grade. I was almost the exact same age the older of my nieces is now. I remember being fascinated by it. I did do a quick google check to make sure my vague memory matched up with how it's really done. Thankfully it did! Not bad for a 30 year old memory. Maybe I'll show them how to make cheese next.

We make cheese and butter, keep hens for eggs and grow as much food as we can. It's all low tech stuff, and fun to do with children.

I hadn't made butter or cheese in a long time, but we went to a rural museum on vacation and my daughter wanted to try stuff from the "olden days" so I dug out our butter churn and cheese press.

If you want to make butter that will keep for longer than a day or two, you need to wash it, btw. Plunge it into really cold water and knead it until the water runs clear (three or four changes of water usually does it). Then if you want it salted, sprinkle fine milled salt over it, and knead again, before shaping. Once you've done that, you can whip it with a food mixer if you prefer whipped butter.