Our churn is about 20 years old. It is a barrel churn. Before that we had a plunge churn. Butter is made once a week in the summer and we all help with the churning. If a stranger comes in during the churning, he must help too or there will be no luck – he will bring the butter home in his hat if he does not. No one is allowed to bring out a coal while the churning is going on. When the churn is nearly made, little bits of butter can be seen on the dash. At that stage, it is said to be “cracked”. If the cream is too hot in summer some spring water is thrown in to cool it or the butter could not be taken out of the buttermilk. The buttermilk is used to make bread.
Collector: Unknown
Informant: Unknown
Place: Killomoran, Co. Galway
Footnote: Duchas, http://www.duchas.ie
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