School: Donore (roll number 6668)

Location:
Donore, Co. Meath
Teacher:
Maighréad Nic Eóin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0682, Page 116

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0682, Page 116

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  3. XML “Churns and Churning”

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  1. Churns and Churning
    Churns
    We have a churn at home and it is like a wooden barrel. When it is being used it is put on a stand. It has a handle by which it is turned. There is a lid on it, and in the centre of the lid there is a round piece of glass. When this glass is clear and when the butter can be seen by tilting the churn to one side we know that the milk is sufficiently churned. There is a plug on the lid which is pressed to let the air out, and another plug to let the milk out.
    Churning can be done more quickly in Summer than in Winter. If even the tiniest bit of sugar gets into the milk it makes it impossible to churn.
    It is said that one day long ago a man was walking along a road. It was a very warm Summer's day and he had a bottle of milk in his pocket. As he was walking, the milk was being shaken up and down. With the constant shaking and the heat the cream in the milk became butter. This is the way in which churning was discovered.
    Frances O'Toole (Scolaire)
    Got from my mother - Mrs O'Toole, Donore, Drogheda, (aged 58)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. agriculture (~2,659)
          1. butter and churns (~3,280)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Frances O' Toole
    Gender
    Female
    Informant
    Mrs O' Toole
    Relation
    Parent
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    58
    Address
    Donore, Co. Meath