There’s nothing quite like fresh butter and there’s no better satisfaction than being able to make it from scratch. And when children are able to do this, the thrill of making something like butter, turning a thick liquid into a solid and a thinner liquid is pretty amazing.

A few years ago, I wanted to buy a butter churn. I searched online and found this antique looking butter churn that was common in the 1800’s. You can imagine my surprised when it arrive, wrapped in newspapers, with cobwebs and silverfish inside…I had unwittingly purchased an antique! After washing it thoroughly, several times, I tried it out. It worked!

If you are making butter with children, you can definitely show them how a butter churn works, but you can also make butter in a glass jar. All you need is heavy cream. In a small 16-ounce mason jar, add about 3 ounces of heavy cream. Secure the lid and begin shaking. After about five minutes, the contents will become heavy and frothy. Congrats! You’ve made whipped cream. Keep shaking for another 2-3 minutes until you hear liquid sloshing around inside and hear and feel the thud of butter knocking around against the sides and lid.

Remove the butter by straining it in cheese cloth or with a strainer. You can keep the butter milk and use it in lei of water when making bread, or make cultured buttermilk with it. You can salt the butter or leave it plain. Just store the way you would store store-bought butter.