Making Butter
Supplies, instructions, resources, and worksheets are below!
Making Butter
Project Description
Everything taste better with butter, but what is it and how is it made? In this project, you’ll learn about the science and process of making butter.
Activity Time
1-2 days
Supplies Needed
1 cup of cold, heavy whipping cream
1 glass
Measuring cup
Mason jar with lid
Stopwatch or clock
Digital camera (optional)
Investigative Worksheet
Learning Objectives
Understand how butter is made
Understand that a substance can chemically change to form a new substance
Vocabulary Terms to Understand
Look up each word and write their definition on paper.
butter
churning
buttermilk
rancid
fat
cream
separate
temperature
heat
Instructional Video
Instructions
1. Print the Investigative Worksheet.
2. Use the measuring cup to pour 1/2 a cup of cold whipping cream into the glass. Set the glass on the counter for 5 hours so the whipping cream becomes room temperature. Be sure to record the time on the Investigative Worksheet, so you know when 5 hours have past.
3. Use the measuring cup to pour 1/2 a cup of cold whipping cream into the mason jar. Put the lid on tight.
4. Start shaking the mason jar really hard and at the same time start your stopwatch or use a clock to time how long it will take to change into butter. It may take up to 20 minutes. Record the time on the Investigative Worksheet. You can draw a chart on the back of the worksheet showing the amount of time it took for the cold whipping cream to form into butter. You can also take digital pictures to print and glue onto your worksheet showing the process.
5. Remove the extra liquid that is around the butter. You can put the butter into a plastic bag to save and use.
6. Clean the mason jar.
7. Repeat the process again (steps 2-6 above), only use the room-temperature whipping cream instead.
Questions
How does cream turn into butter?
How does temperature effect the butter making process?
What states of matter does butter come in?
What are the different types of butter?
More Resources
How Butter is Made
Making Homemade Butter
Scrumptious Science: Shaking Up Butter
The Science of Making Butter
The History of Butter
Wikipedia: Butter
The History of Butter
What’s the Difference Between Regular, Cultured, and European Butter?