Making Herb Butter with Kids

Rosemary is a flavorful culinary herb that can be grown in pots indoors and used to make herb butter.

By Charlie Nardozzi

Herbs are easy plants to grow with kids indoors. Parsley, rosemary, and thyme are some of the perennial herbs that can grow well on a sunny windowsill or under grow lights. Start by growing herbs as purchased transplants or from seed, in the classroom or at home. Teach your kids about the growing needs of herbs. Grow them in pots containing well-drained potting soil. Place them under grow lights turned on for fourteen hours a day or in a sunny window. Explain that because many culinary herbs originated in Mediterranean regions, they grow best with bright light and in drier soils. Have kids wait until the soil is dry before watering.

You can also do some fun activities involving herbs that will help kids expand their culinary skills. Kids especially enjoy making herb butter.

 

Here's what to do:

Ask your kids what foods they might have eaten recently that have herbs in them.

Purchase some herbs if you don't have them growing indoors, and do a blind taste test with your kids. Have them guess the names of the various herbs. Explain that culinary herbs add familiar flavors to many common dishes.

Take a poll to determine which herbs are their favorites.

Teach your kids about using herbs in cooking by making herb butter with them. Pour heavy cream into a Mason jar. Cover it and have the kids take turns shaking it vigorously.

Shake the cream for fifteen to twenty minutes, until it turns into butter. Explain that this is how butter was traditionally made before the advent of machines.

Spoon the butter into a bowl. Using purchased herbs or herbs grown indoors, have the kids experiment with adding different herbs for flavor. Add a little salt as well.

Refrigerate and then have an herb-tasting party. Spread the herb butter on breads and steamed vegetables and enjoy the flavors.