The Chef's Apprentice: Making Butter

On Thursdays, I plan to provide a cooking activity for families to do together. Some of these have been around forever and others may be new. Today, we are going to investigate how heavy cream turns into butter. This is a simple activity that demonstrates chemistry to young children. Get a plastic or glass jar (we use baby food jars) with a tight fitting lid. Pour the heavy cream, found at any grocery store, into the jar. Shake the jar vigorously for about 10 minutes, maybe longer, until thick. You are adding the energy into the system required to make the fat and protein globs in the cream stick together. The solid substance once shaken is the butter and the liquid is buttermilk. If you're feeling creative, you can add a little yogurt into the heavy cream before shaking for a different flavor/texture. Salt can be added as well.

Try it tonight on some toast! The buttermilk can be used as well for cooking or for drinking. Mmmm!