Baile Nan Gàidheal | Highland Village, Iona

Tradition Bearer - Jessie MacKinnon - Jessie ni'n Eachainn Iain. Jessie is a longtime volunteer in the community and is happy to share her experiences from childhood with others. Churning butter is one of Jessie’s chores as a child. Each farm had cows for milk, meat and leather. Before cream separators were invented, fresh milk was left to sit in a cool place in a large bowl. The cream would rise to the top and was skimmed off (creating skimmed milk). When there was enough cream, it was put into a churn, a large wooden barrel or crock in later years. A cover with a small hole was placed over top. The hole allowed a dasher (a long wooden stick with a cross piece on the bottom) to be placed in the cream. This dasher was moved up and down to churn the milk. After a time, the formed. It is removed, washed and salted and there you have butter. The liquid left behind was buttermilk, good to drink and make pancakes.

Topic: Tradition bearers

Date: 2016

Reference:  Highland Village Museum H2016.23.11

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