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This is fun activity to do with the kids that requires no electricity or fancy gadgets – just a little patience!

Ingredients

• Cream
• Glass jar with lid

In New Zealand, you just need standard supermarket cream; in countries where cream is differentiated by milkfat, you want heavy cream.

Optional: You can add extras to your butter once it is made. Consider: salt; honey; a garlic herb mix; brown sugar and cinnamon; finely chopped lavender petals and honey.

Directions

1. Half full your glass jar with cream and put on the lid (tightly).
2. Start shaking!
3. Phase 1 – you’ll hear a sloshing sound as the cream moves around. Phase 2 – silence…you have whipped cream thickly coating the glass. Phase 3 – the glass begins to clear and the sloshing sound begins to return. Phase 4 – you clearly have a ball of butter in the middle sitting in thin white liquid (buttermilk).
   • Note: the timing for this is impacted by the weather! This activity is made more difficult by very hot and by very cold weather.
4. Pop the jar in the fridge for an hour or so to set.
5. Drain the buttermilk (you can drink or use it for cooking).
6. Pour cool water in the jar and give it a shake. You will need to wash the butter several times until the water remains clear. This helps to remove the buttermilk and casein traces that will otherwise go rancid.
7. Tip the butter onto a dish (or bowl) and press with the back of a wooden spoon (or even a metal fork). This will help to bring out the water which needs to be drained off.
8. Now your butter is ready to have any desired salt or flavours added.
9. Butter will keep best in the fridge (wrapped or sealed).