Author: Maddie Van Beek
Welcome back to kitchen science! Today, we’re going to make our own homemade butter! Before we get things shaking, how exactly does cream turn into butter?
First, what is cream?
Cream is the layer of fat that rises to the top of milk before it is homogenized. Homogenization allows the fat and liquid (that normally want to separate) to mix together evenly and form a uniform substance.
What nutrients do we get from milk?
Why does your body need fat?
Fat in moderation is a good thing for your body. In excess, fat can cause heart problems and weight gain. Fat also helps our bodies absorb nutrients. Some nutrients are water soluble, meaning they absorb well with water, but some nutrients are fat soluble, meaning they are absorbed well by fat. If you don’t have adequate fat in your diet, your body could miss out on some key nutrients!
Example: Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Where do we find fats?
Full fat dairy products such as milk and cheese; oils such as olive, coconut, or vegetable oils; nuts and seeds; and avocados. Shoot for natural fats like these rather than processed foods.
What’s the difference between cream, half and half, and milk?
There are so many different dairy products in the dairy aisle. Lots of people buy cream for their coffee, but most people who use “cream” are actually using half and half. Half and Half is just what it sounds like... half cream and half milk. Basically, it has a much lower fat content than Heavy Whipping Cream.
The thing that all these dairy products have in common is that they are mixtures of water, fat and milk proteins. All of the fat, protein, etc. are pretty evenly distributed. Usually, fat and water doesn’t want to mix together. Your job today is to shake the fat globules out of position! When you shake up the mixture, the fat molecules will begin to stick together and separate from the water. The clumps of fat molecules form butter, and the leftover liquid forms buttermilk. Let’s try it out!
You’re going to agitate whole milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream to see what gives you the quickest and best results.
Welcome back to kitchen science! Today, we’re going to make our own homemade butter! Before we get things shaking, how exactly does cream turn into butter?
First, what is cream?
Cream is the layer of fat that rises to the top of milk before it is homogenized. Homogenization allows the fat and liquid (that normally want to separate) to mix together evenly and form a uniform substance.
What nutrients do we get from milk?
- Water
- Protein
- Fat
- Vitamins and minerals (calcium, vitamin D)
Why does your body need fat?
Fat in moderation is a good thing for your body. In excess, fat can cause heart problems and weight gain. Fat also helps our bodies absorb nutrients. Some nutrients are water soluble, meaning they absorb well with water, but some nutrients are fat soluble, meaning they are absorbed well by fat. If you don’t have adequate fat in your diet, your body could miss out on some key nutrients!
Example: Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Where do we find fats?
Full fat dairy products such as milk and cheese; oils such as olive, coconut, or vegetable oils; nuts and seeds; and avocados. Shoot for natural fats like these rather than processed foods.
What’s the difference between cream, half and half, and milk?
There are so many different dairy products in the dairy aisle. Lots of people buy cream for their coffee, but most people who use “cream” are actually using half and half. Half and Half is just what it sounds like... half cream and half milk. Basically, it has a much lower fat content than Heavy Whipping Cream.
- Whole Milk: About 3% butterfat
- Half and Half: 10-18% butterfat
- Heavy Whipping Cream: 36-40% butterfat
The thing that all these dairy products have in common is that they are mixtures of water, fat and milk proteins. All of the fat, protein, etc. are pretty evenly distributed. Usually, fat and water doesn’t want to mix together. Your job today is to shake the fat globules out of position! When you shake up the mixture, the fat molecules will begin to stick together and separate from the water. The clumps of fat molecules form butter, and the leftover liquid forms buttermilk. Let’s try it out!
You’re going to agitate whole milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream to see what gives you the quickest and best results.
Before you begin, make your predictions!
YOU WILL NEED:
Here’s what to do!
1. Pour 1/2 cup milk into one container (your container should be about 1/2 full. Do not overfill—you need the space for the liquid to be agitated!
2. Pour 1/2 cup half and half into the next container.
3. Pour 1/2 cup heavy Whipping Cream into the third container.
YOU WILL NEED:
- 1/2 Cup Measuring Cup
- 3 identical clear containers with sealable lids
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Whole Milk
- Half and Half
- Spoon or butter knife
- Timer
Here’s what to do!
1. Pour 1/2 cup milk into one container (your container should be about 1/2 full. Do not overfill—you need the space for the liquid to be agitated!
2. Pour 1/2 cup half and half into the next container.
3. Pour 1/2 cup heavy Whipping Cream into the third container.
4. Seal all three lids tightly... you’re going to be shaking them vigorously, so you don’t want any leaks! You may want to label each lid in order to keep them straight.
5. Start your timer and start shaking! Begin with the whole milk.
6. Remove the lid and check the milk after 2 minutes. What’s happening? What does the milk look like? Is the texture any different?
5. Start your timer and start shaking! Begin with the whole milk.
6. Remove the lid and check the milk after 2 minutes. What’s happening? What does the milk look like? Is the texture any different?
7. Continue shaking and checking every two minutes for at least 6 minutes. Record results.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 with half and half. Does this yield different results? Pay attention to any changes in texture, appearance, consistency, etc.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 with half and half. Does this yield different results? Pay attention to any changes in texture, appearance, consistency, etc.
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Left: After 2 minutes, Right: After 6 minutes
9. Repeat the process with heavy Whipping Cream.
10. After the first 2 minutes, you should see a notable difference in consistency.
10. After the first 2 minutes, you should see a notable difference in consistency.
11. After about 4-6 minutes, you have whipped cream! Keep going!
12. Take a moment to compare your three liquids. This photo shows the volume of each after around 6 minutes of agitating.
13. Around 8-10 minutes should yield some fluffy butter. Pay attention to any color changes, as well. Notice that the butter on the surface begins to separate with a yellowish liquid. That liquid is buttermilk!
14. Once you’re happy with the thickness of your butter, eat it with bread or crackers! Pour the liquid out to help keep your butter fresher longer. Spread on toast with a little raw sugar and cinnamon for a delicious treat!
Results/Discussion: You should have noticed that the heavy whipping cream was the only substance to yield significant butter results. This is because of the high fat content. You may have noticed some level of separation in the milk with lots of foamy bubbles, but not enough to change the consistency of the milk. If you continued shaking the half and half, you may have seen some separation with a thicker, foamier layer on the surface. But, to produce any sort of result it would take a very long time and would not yield any butter. Once you started shaking the heavy whipping cream; you should’ve noticed that results happen MUCH more quickly. There is a major change in consistency within 2 minutes, and you have a full batch of butter in under 15! Plus, you got a workout in! Phew!
Extension: Compare cold heavy whipping cream to room temperature heavy whipping cream. Does temperature affect the time it takes to form butter? Why or why not? This butter would go well with banana muffins!
Check out more kitchen science with:
https://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/baking-science-eggcellent-banana-muffin-experiment
Extension: Compare cold heavy whipping cream to room temperature heavy whipping cream. Does temperature affect the time it takes to form butter? Why or why not? This butter would go well with banana muffins!
Check out more kitchen science with:
https://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/baking-science-eggcellent-banana-muffin-experiment
