School: Ray

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1. Churning

   

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   We have a churn at home and my mother churns the milk. Most of the farmers send their milk to the creamery but a portion of it is always kept for home use.
   In Summer when the milk is plentiful it is churned once every three days, but in Winter when the milk is scarce it is only churned once a week.
   Our churn at home is one foot two inshes wide at the top, and one foot six inches at the bottom. It is two feet three inches high.
   When the milk is strained, some of it it is set aside in jugs for cream, and the rest is put into crocks and left there until it is sour.
   When the milk is sour it is put into a churn and is churned. It is churned for about three-quarters of an hour in the Summer, and for about an hour in the Winter.
   When the butter is ready it comes to the top of the milk. My mother takes it off and puts it into a wooden basin, which has been well scalded with boiling water to keep the butter from sticking to it, then it is well washed and salted and made up into one pound rolls with two butter spades. Some people used prints to ornament it.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. butter and churns (~3,280)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mae Rutherford

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Errity, Co. Donegal