This week, Roy and I decided that we should show you what butter is and how it is made. Most of the children we know assume that butter is made in a long and difficult process, and you can really only buy it pre-made. This isn't true at all though! Butter is really very easy to make, and doesn't take a lot of ingredients or even any cooking, just patience and a bit of muscle.
In the 1930's, although
butter could be purchased from many corner shops, it was
still sometimes made at home, especially if the family kept a cow or
goat. Before this, butter was often home made. The milk was left until the cream rose to the top, then this was skimmed off and made into butter. Butter is made by vigorously churning or
shaking cream until it thickens and separates, leaving behind thick
butter and a liquid known as buttermilk. You might have eaten buttermilk pancakes at a cafe or perhaps even made some yourself, and they are made using the liquid drained from the butter! Butter was usually made using a butter churn and
placed into decorative moulds. Butter stamps were also available and were used to show
who had made the butter (if it was to be sold) or simply as a
decoration.
You will need:
- 300ml Pure cream
- Iced water
- Salt to taste
- Bread or plain crackers to eat your butter
- A large plastic screw top jar and 1 or 2 clean marbles OR a milkshake shaker. This will be your stand in for a real butter churn. Roy an I used a milkshake maker.
- A fine sieve
- Clean bowls
- 2 forks
Method:
- Pour cream into the milkshake maker and put the lid on firmly. If you are using a plastic jar instead you will need to add your marbles and screw the lid on tightly
- Start shaking! The cream will first become frothy, then thick, then seem like it doesn't move when it is shaken. Don't worry, keep shaking! The cream will suddenly appear to turn back to a liquid. Keep shaking until a solid ball of butter forms.
- In the photo below you can see the liquid has separated from the butter. This liquid is the buttermilk and you will need to drain it off with the sieve. You can keep it to cook with if you would like, or some people like to drink it. You can freeze it for later too!
- The butter can now be eaten, but if you wish to keep the butter . . .
- Butter lasts better if it is washed. Washing removes left over butter milk. Put the solid butter back into the jar and add half a cup of iced water. Screw the lid on and shake for a minute.
- Drain the water off the butter.
- Keep washing and draining the butter until the water that runs off the butter is clear.
- Put your butter into a clean bowl and, using the forks, whisk it around to get the last of the water out. Drain this water off.
- If you want to have salted butter add a little salt and whisk it in to the butter.
- Now, put your butter into a container (Roy used a little pottery ramekin) and keep it in the refridgerator.