School: Kilcalf, Tulach an Iarainn
- Location:
- Kilcalf Mountain, Co. Waterford
- Teacher: Cáit Breannóc
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0638, Page 104
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- XML School: Kilcalf, Tulach an Iarainn
- XML Page 104
- XML “Churning”
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- (continued from previous page)to each end is a handle. At one end of the churn is a small glass so that one may look through it and see if the butter is made.
In the Summer butter is made once a week and in the Winter it is made only every nine or ten days. People know when butter is made when the cream becomes as small crumbs of butter. When the butter is this way the buttermilk is let out through a small hole that is in the side of the churn. Then the churn is turned round and round until the butter is in one big roll. It is taken out with butter pats and put into a big timber dish made for the purpose. it gets three or four washes of clear spring water and then it is salted.
It is said that if suds or candle-grease gets into the cream that it could not be churned. Buttermilk is sometimes used for mixing cakes, sometimes drunk or is given to pigs or calves.
Mother makes the churn at home. It is not customary in this district for strangers who come while churning to help. Churning generally takes a half-hour and is made by hand.
- Informant
- James Power
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 53
- Address
- Glennaglogh, Co. Waterford
