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Kid’s Activity
Having kids make butter in mason jars is a popular activity to celebrate old-fashioned traditions. We love it because it helps connect kids to cooking and where ingredients come from.
You can use any size of jar you want. Baby food jars are a bit easier for little hands to work with, so consider collecting some of those for reuse if you are doing this activity with smaller children. The recipe is easily adapted to any size of jar. All you have to do is fill the jar halfway with heavy cream and start shaking.
Adding Salt
When to Add Salt: You have two options for adding salt to your homemade butter. You can mix in the salt after the butter has been churned and rinsed, or you can add it directly to the cream before you start churning. The only issue to consider is that adding the salt before churning will also salt the buttermilk so it depends on what you want to use the buttermilk for.
How Much Salt to Add: A general guideline is to use about 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every 1 cup of cream.
Mixing in the Salt: If you choose to add salt after churning, make sure your butter is at a manageable consistency—neither too hard nor too soft. Sprinkle the salt over the butter and use a spatula or your hands to knead it gently into the butter. This ensures that the salt is evenly distributed throughout.
Yield
A good rule of thumb for homemade butter making is that you’ll typically yield about half the amount of butter as the cream used. For example, using 1 cup of cream will generally produce about 1/2 cup of butter.
Storage Instructions
Store butter in an airtight container. How long it stays fresh will depend on how well you rinsed your butter and at what temperature your butter is stored at. Discard butter that smells rancid as that indicates milk proteins have fermented.
At room temperature, your butter will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.
When refrigerated, your butter will stay fresh for 7 to 10 days.
Butter can be frozen for up to 6 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap with an additional layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Once thawed, your butter will need to be eaten within 3 to 5 days at room temperature, or within 7 to 10 days refrigerated.
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