School: Tomhaggard
- Location:
- Tomhaggard, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Séamus Ó Riain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0877, Page 286
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- XML School: Tomhaggard
- XML Page 286
- XML “Churning”
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- (continued from previous page)is clouded. When the churning is finished the glass becomes quite clear. When the milk breaks, some hot water is put in the churn. This water keeps the butter in grains.
The buttermilk is strained off the butter, then the butter is washed. It is lifted from the churn with a trencher and placed on the butter worker. It is then packed and weighed. The butter is spread out and salted, using half to three quarters of an ounce of salt to the pound of butter. The salt is worked into the butter and the milk extracted from it by passing it several times under a roller. This done, the butter is shaped into rolls and patts according to taste.
Buttermilk is used for bread making. In winter it is put in to the cream crock to help to ripen the cream.
Stories are told about people who refused milk to poor people, and had no butter on the next churning. In some places a new whisk should be put into the churn on May Day.
Milk should not be sold or given away on that day.
- Collector
- Phyllis Codd
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Grange, Co. Wexford
