Homemade Butter

For lactose intolerant people, we have made homemade butter puzzlingly often.  It's been a favorite activity among many groups we've been involved with though.  I must admit it is easy and fun.

If you have never tried it, here's how it's done.

You'll need:

• 1 small container of  heavy cream
• Disposable mini condiment container or mini plastic storage container with lid (one for each person)

Steps:

1. Fill container with cream (or cream plus salt if you added it) about half full.  
2. Fasten the lid securely.  
3. Shake, shake, shake.  Don't get too vigorous.  You'll tire yourself out and it won't form any faster.  Steady shakes work best. 
4. Some people place a clean marble in the container to speed things up

After several minutes of vigorous shaking (think butter churn), you will get a solid glob of butter and some liquid (buttermilk).   Pour off the buttermilk and use the butter right away.  If you want to make a lot of butter to use later, you need to wash it or the buttermilk residue will turn it sour.  Instructions for that can be found here.  We've never tried this, as we usually hand off our butter to someone who can eat it!

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Cooking science links:

Dairy Science and Technolgy - Very detailed discussion of  butter making. Best for older students

Butter making video explains the science in a kid friendly way

Slime

Who doesn't love slime?

ooey gooey science-y

**raises hand**

But it's inevitable isn't it?   I do recall getting slime out of gumball machines as a kid.  On purpose.  It seemed to the thing to do at the time.  There are two main varieties of slime: polymer and non-Newtonian fluid. So if your little grossologist must have slime, here's how to do it.


Polymer slime aka borax and school glue (pictured above):

Polymer Slime instructions
Science-y Explanation

Note: This is my favored slime.  It's not all that slimy, it keeps for a while in a baggy or my least favorite plastic storage container, and it generally cleans up and behaves itself.


Non-Newtonian slime aka cornstarch/corn flour(UK) and water:
Instructions plus science
A page with lots of silly cornstarch slime vids

Note: This stuff is a menace.  When it's being a liquid, it gets everywhere, it feels disgusting, and will destroy plumbing quick as anything.  When you clean up, use a bucket, outside if possible.  You need to thin the cornstarch/corn flour to nothing before it ceases it's starchy mayhem.