Nut Butter Classroom Activity
Students Create Edible Results While Observing Oils in Foods
Nov 9, 2009
Children are introduced to the idea of oils in food through the Food Pyramid. A simple science experiment can expose them to the idea that the yellow bottle of oil and meats are not the only source of oils in their diet; it is in plants, too. Pressing the oil out of nuts to create nut butter is a fun classroom activity that can help students understand where oils can be found in their diet.
Introducing Students to the Experiment
Oils are produced by plants as a way to store food for times when nutrients are not readily available. Students can observe whether or not a food contains oil by rubbing it on a brown paper bag. A translucent, or greasy, spot will appear and not go away if it dries if the food contains a fat or oil.
Another way to observe oils in food is to set it on fire. Nuts will burn when lit with a match due to the oil it contains.
A third way is to press out the oil, which is the focus of the experiment. Special equipment is needed to remove the oil from the nut meat, but in the classroom activity it will remain together as a nut butter. Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts work well; avoid peanuts due to allergy concerns. Almonds should be blanched so the skin comes off and only the white meat of the nut remains. Hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts will work fine directly from the shell.
Materials for Nut Butter Activity
- ½ to 1 cup shelled nuts per student
- nut grinder, coffee grinder, or food processor
- sandwich or quart size plastic bags, or 2 sheets of wax paper
- rolling pin or heavy cylindrical object
- spatula
- jar with a lid (to take home the results)
Steps to Make Nut Butter
- Grind the nuts in the grinder or food processor until in small pieces. Do not over do, or the butter will be created in the machine and not by students.
- Provide each student with a plastic bag of nut pieces, or place the nut pieces between 2 sheets of wax paper for each child.
- Students should roll the rolling pin on the nuts as hard as possible. The pieces will begin to stick together as the oil is pressed out of the nuts.
- When finished, scrape the resulting butter into a jar. Children can feel the oil from the nut on the resulting butter or left behind in the bag.
- Students can make sandwiches or spread it on crackers for a special classroom treat or take it home to share. Make sure they know that, since there are no preservatives, they should refrigerate the nut butter unless it is eaten soon.
Making nut butter in the classroom is an easy and fun activity. It demonstrates that foods contain oil and how to remove the oil from the food. The results are also fun to share and ready to eat at the end of the activity.
For more fun food based experiments, read How to Make Homemade Butter, and Saltwater Taffy Science Experiment.
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