I remember hearing about how the pioneers would hang jars of cream from their wagons as they traveled so it would churn into butter for their evening meal. Obviously it isn't feasible in most backpacking situations, but the science would be the same as hanging a jar of cream from your backpack. I went on an overnighter a couple weeks ago and gave it a try.

I have a roughly 6 fl oz aluminum bottle with a wide enough mouth to get a knife into, which I filled about 3/4 of the way with heavy cream, and tied to my pack so that it could swing freely as I walked. I made a little bubble wrap cozy for it to try and keep it cool, but it wasn't too effective.

My plan was to use the butter and buttermilk to make biscuits. After a six or so mile hike, the butter hadn't really separated into butter and buttermilk, and was roughly the consistency of sour cream, which worked about the same in the biscuits. I'm guessing it was the temperature, because it chilled overnight and I was able to paddle out some of the buttermilk the next morning.

Next time I try it, I'll only fill the jar half full, and give it a little more room to shake, as well as bring a pinch of salt to work into it.

Yes, it's heavier than butter buds. No, it won't keep on a long hike. Yes, there's probably lots of reasons butter substitutes are a better choice for hikers, but it sure is a fun treat for the first night and morning.

I'm sure some of you all have tried this, but my searches haven't lead me to any threads about churning butter, anyone had any success?
_________________________
He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.
-Samuel Johnson