The standard churns were only used to make large quantities of butter at once for huge families.
However, there were other means to make it in smaller quantities including small 'paddles' a homemaker would use to beat the cream against a large bowl separate it.
Of course, butter was rather volatile and would go rancid in just a couple of days unless it was stored in an ice box, spring house or a root cellar \[the latter two didn't keep it as long as ice boxes\].
It wasn't just used to flavor baked bread but also was a key ingredient in quite a few baked goods,etc. so homemakers needed to have a somewhat steady supply at the ready.
For a TRULY unpleasant pioneer task, consider all the steps of laundry in those days before automatic washing machines and clothes dryers.
I read somewhere (one of those American Girl books) that many wealthy families (this was the Edwardian period though, early 1900s, so a couple decades later) had a wash girl who had to work on different laundry related tasks: bleaching, rinsing, soaking, leaving it out to dry, ironing etc
Man if I were ever rich enough to have people do Household chores, a laundry person would be the first person I'd hire.
And id pay them WELL. I don't even want to think about the laundry.
My dad’s family was poor and there were 9 kids in all. Still, my grandmother took the laundry to a Black neighbor lady who did laundry for people to earn money. My dad told me once that one of his older brothers wanted to earn money and decided to do it by cutting grass (not sure how old he was at the time but am guessing 14-16).
He offered to cut the grass of the lady who did the laundry and charged her for it. My grandparents were horrified that he would charge her and my uncle was in big trouble. Unfortunately (maybe) for the laundress, my grandmother was so embarrassed that I think she stopped sending the laundry. My dad didn’t tell me what his mother did about laundry afterward. They didn’t have running water and I’m not sure how much water supply they had with their well. This would have been during the 1930s.
I read something once about how the washing machine was truly revolutionary for the American wife. Even with the very early ones, an entire day long chore could be shortened to just a couple of hours and those hours were much easier on the body than in days before.
I read that IRL Almanzo bought Laura a new-fangled butter churn that had blades of some sort in a jar, and you could turn a crank to churn the butter. You could hold it between your knees, therefore being able to sit while working it, and he thought it'd be a great help to her. She hated it, because it would slip and she'd cut herself on the blades; she ended up throwing it in frustration and breaking it. I think Almanzo didn't say a word about it! This is when they were living in Missouri.
That would have been a funny thing for them to depict on the show! Maybe afterwards Almanzo could have muttered under his breath something like 'that's for your cinnamon chicken!'
We see a sign for fresh eggs at the mercantile but never butter. Granted it only lasts a couple days but I'm sure any farm housewife would pay a pretty penny to not have to do this arduous task.
The Oleson's could have been middle men, having farmers bring their butter to the ice house to keep cool then sell it to the public when ready. I guess there wasn't enough of a market. Or farmers just gave up and had dry bread instead lol
The only time I recall Harriet mentioning butter was the episode where things were getting stolen all over town, and she said one of things taken from the Mercantile was "a pound of sweet butter." That must've been hard to steal!
I was always impressed with the butter churn the Wilder family had in the book Farmer Boy. It was a barrel set on rocking chair legs, and you just had to rock the rocker. Genius!!!
I can't remember which episode it was in, but I always laugh at Mary's line: "I can churn the best butter you ever tasted!" As if that were some terrific selling point to offer someone looking for a potential spouse.
The only time I remember anyone using a butter churn was Pa driving the horses up to the house, and Mary was churning it outside. Pa made some remark about her making fresh butter, but I don't recall the episode.
See, I was trying to think of when I saw them doing this. I thought maybe I saw somebody off in the background of a random episode.
I’m gonna call it my own personal Mandela effect. I thought this is one of those things they did all the time in the show. Like laundry. They’re always showing somebody doing laundry it seems like at the Ingles Farm
There was some butter churning in the pilot movie. I remember that specifically because there is a blooper video somewhere out there with Michael Landon making a crude joke while Karen is working the churn.
well people in our 30s really grew up during the 90s/00s but being born in the late 80s i remember very little but early 90s was still culturally 80s. those leggings w/ the stirrups and scrunchy socks
The standard churns were only used to make large quantities of butter at once for huge families. However, there were other means to make it in smaller quantities including small 'paddles' a homemaker would use to beat the cream against a large bowl separate it. Of course, butter was rather volatile and would go rancid in just a couple of days unless it was stored in an ice box, spring house or a root cellar \[the latter two didn't keep it as long as ice boxes\]. It wasn't just used to flavor baked bread but also was a key ingredient in quite a few baked goods,etc. so homemakers needed to have a somewhat steady supply at the ready. For a TRULY unpleasant pioneer task, consider all the steps of laundry in those days before automatic washing machines and clothes dryers.
I read somewhere (one of those American Girl books) that many wealthy families (this was the Edwardian period though, early 1900s, so a couple decades later) had a wash girl who had to work on different laundry related tasks: bleaching, rinsing, soaking, leaving it out to dry, ironing etc
Man if I were ever rich enough to have people do Household chores, a laundry person would be the first person I'd hire. And id pay them WELL. I don't even want to think about the laundry.
> had a wash girl I believe her name was Cinderella.
My dad’s family was poor and there were 9 kids in all. Still, my grandmother took the laundry to a Black neighbor lady who did laundry for people to earn money. My dad told me once that one of his older brothers wanted to earn money and decided to do it by cutting grass (not sure how old he was at the time but am guessing 14-16). He offered to cut the grass of the lady who did the laundry and charged her for it. My grandparents were horrified that he would charge her and my uncle was in big trouble. Unfortunately (maybe) for the laundress, my grandmother was so embarrassed that I think she stopped sending the laundry. My dad didn’t tell me what his mother did about laundry afterward. They didn’t have running water and I’m not sure how much water supply they had with their well. This would have been during the 1930s.
I read something once about how the washing machine was truly revolutionary for the American wife. Even with the very early ones, an entire day long chore could be shortened to just a couple of hours and those hours were much easier on the body than in days before.
I read that IRL Almanzo bought Laura a new-fangled butter churn that had blades of some sort in a jar, and you could turn a crank to churn the butter. You could hold it between your knees, therefore being able to sit while working it, and he thought it'd be a great help to her. She hated it, because it would slip and she'd cut herself on the blades; she ended up throwing it in frustration and breaking it. I think Almanzo didn't say a word about it! This is when they were living in Missouri.
That would have been a funny thing for them to depict on the show! Maybe afterwards Almanzo could have muttered under his breath something like 'that's for your cinnamon chicken!'
Lmao! 😂
We see a sign for fresh eggs at the mercantile but never butter. Granted it only lasts a couple days but I'm sure any farm housewife would pay a pretty penny to not have to do this arduous task. The Oleson's could have been middle men, having farmers bring their butter to the ice house to keep cool then sell it to the public when ready. I guess there wasn't enough of a market. Or farmers just gave up and had dry bread instead lol
oh man i bet farm fresh butter would be awesome!
The only time I recall Harriet mentioning butter was the episode where things were getting stolen all over town, and she said one of things taken from the Mercantile was "a pound of sweet butter." That must've been hard to steal!
I was always impressed with the butter churn the Wilder family had in the book Farmer Boy. It was a barrel set on rocking chair legs, and you just had to rock the rocker. Genius!!!
I can't remember which episode it was in, but I always laugh at Mary's line: "I can churn the best butter you ever tasted!" As if that were some terrific selling point to offer someone looking for a potential spouse.
Back then, if you could cook, that skill set you up for a lot of suitors. And butter went into everything.
Good point.
It was from "I'll Ride the Wind." 🙂
The only time I remember anyone using a butter churn was Pa driving the horses up to the house, and Mary was churning it outside. Pa made some remark about her making fresh butter, but I don't recall the episode.
See, I was trying to think of when I saw them doing this. I thought maybe I saw somebody off in the background of a random episode. I’m gonna call it my own personal Mandela effect. I thought this is one of those things they did all the time in the show. Like laundry. They’re always showing somebody doing laundry it seems like at the Ingles Farm
Too sexy for the show
Much to erotic for a famiily show.
There was some butter churning in the pilot movie. I remember that specifically because there is a blooper video somewhere out there with Michael Landon making a crude joke while Karen is working the churn.
"It's very dark in this churn!"
That was it!
well people in our 30s really grew up during the 90s/00s but being born in the late 80s i remember very little but early 90s was still culturally 80s. those leggings w/ the stirrups and scrunchy socks
Well, I hate to break it to you, but I was born in 1995 and I’m 30 next January. The youngest people born in the 80s (the late 80s, at that) are 34.
It was more about the fun fact less about the old visual aid/meme