Butter churn

2015.306.2065

Butter churn

Object, Dairy Tool, Butter Worker

Butter churn (a.k.a. box or barrel churn), wooden with red stenciled lettering "No. 3 Improved" and faded red stenciled cow on one side of barrel. Red stenciled lettering "Boston, Amesplu_ _ _, New York" on the other side. Wood and steel handle on one side turns the slatted wooden paddle wheel inside. (B) Wooden spatula. Wooden top. Probably late 19th century. "It was small enough to stand on a table; used for small-scale production of butter in a farmhouse dairy. It would about 70 pints of mile to produce enough cream to make just 18 oz (500gms) of butter. Complete with interior paddle wheel to agitate cream, lid, peg for the drain hole, and handle to rotate paddle wheel. The cream was poured into the opening at the top of the barrel and the handle turned. This would rotate the slatted wooden panels and agitate the cream. There was a small inspection hole in the top of the lid to allow the operator to check the progress of the butter without opening the churn. It would take about an hour and a half to turn the cream to butter. The whey was poured off and either drunk or used as pig food. The butter was then removed from the churn and was washed repeatedly in cold water. It was then beaten with wooden butter beaters or kneaded by hand to remove the excess moisture." http://www.objectlessons.org/work-and-innovation-victorians/barrel-butter-churn-victorian-original/s64/a930/

15" diameter, 17" high