Homemade butter is easy and fun to make and requires nothing more than some heavy cream, a tightly lidded container and a marble—an active kid doesn't hurt either. Children love this project, not only does the butter taste fresher, you can evoke days of old without having to figure out how to make a butter churner. Plus, kids are super proud to serve butter they made by themselves.
1. Pour any amount of heavy cream you like into a jar or food storage container that has a tight-fitting lid. For little kids you can reuse baby food jars. Add a clean marble and seal tightly.
2. Shake! This is the fun part, shake the jar till you feel the cream thicken and coat the jar, then shake some more. My mason jar took about 30 minutes. A baby food jar will take about 10 minutes. You can also roll the jar back and forth on the floor with a partner, too.
3. As the butter solidifies it separates from the buttermilk. You will know it is complete when you have a fairly solid mass at the bottom of your jar. Pour off the buttermilk and place butter in a food-safe storage container for use. I also like to sprinkle in a tiny bit of kosher salt at the end and give it one more good shake to incorporate.
This butter will keep in the fridge as long as any butter you purchase in the store. Enjoy! Just be sure not to eat the marble.
Find more things to cook and create in our guide to Easy Recipes for Kids.