School: Darver (C.), Dundalk (roll number 10547)

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1. Churning (continued)

   

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   Ours is an end over end churn, so it is put round by hand to give the milk a slash. The people know when the butter is done, because there is a little glass on the lid so that the person can see throught; if the butter is in nice grains it is done.
   Warm water is poured in during the process to bring the milk to milk to its proper temperature.
   First of all the plug is taken out; the buttermilk is strained into a crock, and the butter remains in the bottom of the churn. Then it is emptied into a wooden butter-dish; it is washed twice before salting; then a light sprinkle of salt is put in it, and the salt is well mixed through it. After that we wash it again, and make it into pounds.
   This is a story I heard of how the first butter was got.
   Once upon a time a woman had a crock of milk, and she began to beat it with a stick. After a while she saw the cream getting thick. She took it off, put salt in it, and washed it, and found out it was very nice, later on it got its name as butter.
   It is a custom to say "God bless the cows,"

   (continues on next page)

   

   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

   Eibhlín Ní Bhearáin

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cuillenstown, Co. Louth

   Informant

   Patrick Lear

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Cuillenstown, Co. Louth