School: Rathcormac (roll number 8463)
- Location:
- Rathcormack, Co. Sligo
- Teacher: M. Bean Uí Fhéinneadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0158, Page 024
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- XML School: Rathcormac
- XML Page 024
- XML “Churning”
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- My mother churns twice a week with a hand-churn. It is about two feet in height and is about three feet in breadth. Its sides are round, and it has a small dash inside. Its handle is on the side, and it has a small square lid.
Before the churning is done the churn is scrubbed well, and left out to dry. When it is well dry, all the cream that was gathered for it is put in, and the churning is started.
Water is added to help to bring the butter to the top of the milk. Cold water is put in, in summer, because if hot water were put in during the Summer weather it would melt the butter, but the hot water is put in, during the Winter days when it is cold.
It takes about an hour to churn. You know it is churned when the dash stops going round, on account of the weight of butter that is stopping it.
Then the dash is taken out and a big wooden bowl is fetched, and a very large wooden spoon to take out the butter. When the butter is out it is washed and salted, and two butter pats are got to shape the butter, and(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Chrisy Mullane
- Gender
- Male
