School: Banada

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1. Churning (continued)

   

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   of the Cross is then made over the churn, and the people of the house start to churn.
   In winter-time boiling water is added to the milk to help to break it, and to make it easier to churn, but in summer-time cold water is usually added, otherwise the butter would be too soft.
   If a neighbour enters the house while the churning is in progress, he usually takes the churn-dash, and churns for a little while. This is an old Irish custom. It takes about an hour and a half to complete a churning. When the churning is finished, the butter is next taken out on the butter dish. It is then washed two or three times with spring water to take the buttermilk out of it. It is then salted, and washed again. It is next made into a roll or prints.
   It is said that some people long ago had the power to take the butter off their neighbour's churn. If for instance a man came into a house and lit his pipe while the churning was in progress it was said that he could take the butter with him.

   

   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

   Kathleen Towey

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Lung, Co. Roscommon