School: Cuar an Chláir (C)

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1. Butter-Making at the Present Day

   

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   I have a churn-barrel at home. It is round and made of timber. It is fixed on a timber stand. It is rolled round and round by twisting an iron handle which is fixed at each end of barrel. In the barrel is a hole to put in the cream and a small hole to let out the wind while making it. In the larger hole there is a circular cover timber and an iron bar which fits into two hoops at each side of the timber cover.

   Mother makes the churn at home. The barrel has to be well cleaned at first. It must be then scalded and rinsed out with fresh water. The cream is then put in by means of funnel which is fixed into the large hole in barrel. There is a drop of holy water put in after the cream and then a pinch of salt. The barrel is shut down then and it is given a few twists. Then the wind is let out by means of the small hole. This has to be done a few times so that the barrel will not burst. It is then kept twisted for about twenty minutes - till the butter is heard beating against the side of the barrel.

   The large cover is unscrewed and the milk is strained out into a large tub while the butter remains in the barrel. This gets its first wash in the barrel. The water which comes off is given to swine to drink after. The butter is now taken out into a large tub, which has been cleaned and made ready to receive it. It is salted then and "lumped" and made ready for the market. At the market we get 1 / - per lb. for fresh farmer's butter. Mother keeps three or four lbs. for the use of the house at home.

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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

   Collector

   Brigid Lynch

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cooraclare, Co. Clare