Homemade Butter. I can make that!

I like making things.

I especially get a little thrill when I make a food homemade...a food that I could buy rather than make.

I want to learn to be more self-sufficient and be able to use basic ingredients to create good food, not necessarily because it is, in the long run, healthier but mostly because it is fun.  And also, I think it is a good skill to have and pass on.

Enough said.

This time we decided to take some cream and make it butter.  It was B week so we were making butter for our banana bread...loads of fun!

I poured the cream into some tightly sealable bowls and closed them up.  Then I set the girls running and jumping through the house.

It went well...

Check out L's face in the middle picture!  I caught her just right at the lowest point of her jump!

For about 5 minutes... 

Then they gave up.

I can't say I was surprised, though.  You have to really shake hard for a pretty long time.

After a few minutes it looks frothy and you can hear it shaking around.

Then it gets quieter and starts to look like whipped (or shaken) cream. 

Then it gets quiet to the point that you can't really hear anything and you start to wonder if it is still in there.

It is and it's starting to look more like butter. 

Soon you can hear it kind of thumping around in the bowl.  

It's not done yet.  Almost.

Now is the time to sprint.  Shake even harder and a little more vigorously until you hear liquid splashing around again.

Good.  The butter and milk have separated.  Now it's done.

Drain off the buttermilk.  You should probably use a better colander or strainer than me.

I just dumped it in there and let it sit for a few minutes.

Now pick it up and squeeze it to make sure all that buttermilk is off.  It spoils faster if the buttermilk isn't drained enough.

And, there you go... 

Butter!  Wasn't that fun?!

P.S.  I would totally recommend using a stand mixer if you are going to do this.  We were only shaking it by hand for the experience of it...that was fun too, but a lot more work.

I'll be linking up with the parties listed here!