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1. Churning

   

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   Churning
   We have no churn at home but I was watching a woman churning in the country. Her churn is called a dash churn, there is a long handle with a flat piece of wood on one end, this piece of wood is all holes carved in the shape of stars and flowers and the this end is put in a churn and a round lid is put on the top of the churn; this lid has a hole in the centre and the handle of the dasher is put through the hole and a person holds the handle and moves it up and down, this is very tiresome work and usually two people take turn about with moving the dasher. her churn is the same width tp and bottom, that is about two and a half feet in diameter.
   Cream is usually put in a churn. A person knows when the milk is turned to butter because it does not stick to the dasher, sometimes the dasher is given a rolling movement from side to side. It takes about half an hour to churn, and people who come into the house where someone is churning take a turn with the dasher as they think it unlucky if they do not help.
   Most people churn about once a week in summer. Sometimes they do not churn in winter if milk is scarce. Water is usually thrown into the churn from time to time, this water has to be boiling, if the woman of the house discovers that the milk is not turning to butter quickly enough she adds more hot water

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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

   Alma Mc Quade

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Virginia, Co. Cavan

   Informant

   Mr Sam Mc Quade

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   78

   Address

   Lisgrea, Co. Cavan