School: Mercy Convent, Cootehill

Location:
Cootehill, Co. Cavan
Teacher:
Sr M. Aidan
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1018, Page 176

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1018, Page 176

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  1. XML School: Mercy Convent, Cootehill
  2. XML Page 176
  3. XML “Churning”

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  1. (continued from previous page)
    two years old.
    Butter is made about twice every week in the summer and about once every week in the winter. Every member of the family that is able helps with the churning. When strangers come into the house mammy does not allow them to help because she would be afraid there might be dust in their clothes or that their hands might be dirty. If it be so the dust would fall into the milk and then the butter would be very dirty.
    It takes 1/2 an hour to churn. The churning is done by hand and the dash is moved up and down. People know the butter is made when it comes into lumps on the top of the milk. Water is put into the churn during the process. Boiling water is put in in order to raise the temperature to 64 degrees. Cold water is put in in order to lower the temperature in order to gather the butter.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. agriculture (~2,659)
          1. butter and churns (~3,280)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Ira Smith
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Cootehill, Co. Cavan