School: Cnoc Cairn, Imleach Iubhair (roll number 10731)

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1. Churning etc (continued)

   

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   saucer was used for the skimming process. About twice a week this cream was put in the churn (varying according to the number of cows owned by the farmer). The churn was about five feet tall - tall enough to allow a medium-sized person to look into it. It was about four feet long, and two and a half feet wide. Possessors of [?] or thereabouts churned every morning, whereas owners of a "bawn of 10 cows" would churn once a week only. In winter, the churning was done once a week behind closed doors in a well-heated house. The servant boy and servant girl used to do the churning. Anybody, strange or otherwise, entering the house during the churning usually "took a whip" (as they used to say) out of the churning handle. This was a custom, violation of which meant that whoever entered took the fat of the churn with him or her, when leaving the house.

   Churning process usually took an hour and a half-longer in cold weather. The churners usually looked into the churn from time to time to see if the butter was being made. When the cream got "grainy", it was a sign that churning was nearing completion. A better sign was to hear the cream hitting heavily on the dashers inside. Then the handles were turned slowly. Then spring-water was poured in from time to time to cool the churn and to keep the butter firm. The butter was lifted out

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   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

   Informant

   Miss Ann O' Neill

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   75

   Address

   Moanmore, Co. Tipperary