School: Convent of Mercy, Kilmacthomas

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1. Churning

   

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   We have not a churn at home, but I often saw one. The shape of it was round. It was one piece and two beaters inside it. Most of the farmers made butter twice a week in Summer but in Winter they used a smaller churn because they made only butter enough for themselves.
   One of the men made the butter. Any man who came in during the churning gave a twist to the handle of the churn as it was an old saying 'It is lucky to take a turn at the churning'.
   The churning took at least an hour. It was done by hand. The beaters were moved from side to side. When the butter was made the man who was twisting the churn would feel a heavy fall inside it. That is how he knew when the butter was made. Cold water was poured into the churn in Summer to help the butter to set and sometimes hot water was poured into it in Winter to help them to make it up. It was lifted out by hand, then it was put into a round firkin and washed and salted. Some of it went to the market and the rest of it was sold to the people around. Of course he kept some for himself.
   This happened not so long ago - A farmer had great cows for milking abd this evening at milk

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Stacia Barron

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Fahafeelagh, Co. Waterford