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Kids shaking a jar of cream to make homemade butter for Thanksgiving

Shake-It Homemade Butter

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 1 small dish (about 1/3 cup)
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup heavy cream slightly cool, not ice cold
  • 1 pinch salt optional

Equipment

  • Clean glass jar with a tight lid
  • Small bowl
  • Spoon

Method
 

  1. Pour the cream into a jar, filling it no more than half full. Screw the lid on tightly.
  2. Take turns shaking hard. After 3 to 5 minutes it turns into thick whipped cream and goes quiet.
  3. Keep shaking. After a few more minutes you'll hear sloshing again: a lump of butter has separated from thin buttermilk.
  4. Pour off the buttermilk (save it). Rinse the butter in a bowl of very cold water, pressing with a spoon, until the water runs clear.
  5. Press out the water, stir in a pinch of salt if you like, and spread on warm rolls.

Notes

Cream shakes into butter faster if it has been out of the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. A clean marble in the jar speeds things up (remove it before serving). Keep the buttermilk for pancakes.