Artifact Guessing Game 2

Our Curator Cat at the Harrison House, Frankie, is here with another artifact to guess. What’s that big wooden thing behind him?

No, not the door or the wall. ;) But for many, it is probably a similarly familiar historic object: the butter churn!

Barrels like this one are a common sight at historic museums. The handle on top is connected to a paddle inside the barrel, so that cream can be put inside and stirred vigorously. It’s the stirring, or “churning,” that creates butter out of the cream.

Butter churns come in all sizes—the bigger the better, because everyone loves butter, right? But you can actually make a butter churn at home using only a small jar!

If the summer days are getting long and you’re looking for something to do, making your own butter is much easier than you’d think. All you need is heavy whipping cream and a clean jar with a lid—and plenty of energy to shake it up. Some people also will put a clean marble in the jar with the cream to help the stirring process along.

You can find step-by-step instructions tailored for kids or for serious bakers and cooks.

And stay tuned for more artifact guessing games in the future!