How To Make Homemade Butter In A Mason Jar

Learn how to make homemade butter in a mason jar and have a blast with this kid and family friendly activity! This easy recipe yields delicious old fashioned butter that is perfect on anything that goes well with butter.

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I’m always on the lookout for a fun activity to do with my kids- especially on gray rainy days.

And a bonus if it results in something super yummy and teaches them something to boot.

This homemade butter recipe fits that bill.

When I taught them how to make butter in a mason jar, it was eye opening for them to learn how simple but time consuming doing it the old fashioned way can be.

But they had fun with it and we like to take turns shaking the jar.

And of course, it’s amazing slathered on everything from plain old bread and toast  to Hot Water Cornbread and Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins.

Ingredients

You don’t need much to make this homemade butter recipe just:

• Heavy cream– You can’t use any lower fat product in this. Anything with less fat will not separate and give you butter no matter how long you shake it.
• Salt– To taste

You also need a mason jar with a lid and sealing ring.

How to Make Butter in a Mason Jar

To make homemade butter in a jar, just fill your mason jar half way with heavy cream and add a pinch of salt.

Secure the lid and the sealing ring on the jar so it is tightly closed.

Vigorously shake the jar for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, you’ll be able to hear and feel a difference- this will continue as the cream goes through the transition of changing from cream to butter.

First it will get thicker, and heavier- you’ll hear the sounds coming from the jar change. At this point it will be whipped cream.

Keep shaking the jar until it finally separates into a lump of butter and buttermilk, again you’ll be able to hear and feel the change.

It may take up to 5 more minutes of shaking before it finally separates.

Once it does, pour the mixture into the strainer set over a small bowl.

Reserve the buttermilk to use in another recipe, and shape the butter lump into a ball using your hands.

Give it a brief squeeze to remove excess moisture still there.

If you prefer not to touch the butter, you can shape it using a paper towel.

Then briefly run the butter under cold water until the water runs clear.

Use immediately, and enjoy!

How much butter will one cup of cream make?

One cup of cream will turn into roughly 1/4 cup of butter, or half a stick.

You’ll also get about a 1/2 cup of buttermilk.

How long does homemade butter last?

Provided you shook it well and then rinsed until most of the buttermilk was removed, homemade butter should keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container.

Can you freeze homemade butter?

Yes!

To freeze this, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then put it into a ziplocking bag or air tight container before freezing.

Homemade butter will keep for up to 3 months.

Why does homemade butter taste different?

Some people may notice that homemade butter tastes different than store bought butter.

This difference is from washing the butter.

If you don’t rinse the butter well, the buttermilk will stick to the butter and change the flavor a bit.

The better you rinse it, the less you will notice this.

Tips and Tricks

• There is no substitute for heavy cream. Lower fat products will not produce butter and buttermilk.
• It can be really tiring shaking the jar for an extended period of time so my kids and I like to take turns.
• You can also make this in the bowl of a stand mixer if that’s easier or you want to make a big batch of homemade butter and buttermilk.
• If you don’t want to actually touch the butter- place the ball of butter in a paper towel to shape.

What to Put Homemade Butter On

Learn how to make butter in a mason jar so you always have homemade butter for all your favorite foods.

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for ideas on how to use your homemade butter?

Try these:

• Traditional Irish Soda Bread
• No Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread
• Shortcut Focaccia Bread
• Cheesy Beer Bread
• Crockpot Rosemary & Olive Oil Bread
• Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread
• Crusty Dutch Oven Bread

If you’ve tried this HOMEMADE BUTTER IN A MASON JAR, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.