Plunge Butter Churn

The earliest butter churn vessels belonged to the Beersheba culture in Israel going back to the Chalcolithic period between 6500–5500 BC. The butter churn in Europe may have existed as early as the 6th century AD, and mostly a domestic choice done by women. The plunge butter churn was the most common and prominent type of butter churn during the European colonization of the Americas to the American pioneers' expansion westward. The butter churn we have on display is made of three parts, 1) the removable flat lid, 2) the wooden container that holds the butter mixture and fasten with metal bands, and 3) the wooden plunger that looks like a broom handle with circular disc with holes at the end to the let the butter flow through more easily while churning. From milking the cows to churning (which was often done in an hour) to making the butter into pats, making it better was a time consuming process, often taking a week.

Firstly, milk was milked from the cows and collected in a pail. Then the milk was set in milk pans in the dairy and left for a day for the cream to rise to the surface. The cream was skimmed off and put in a container in a cold place, like a cellar or pantry. This was done for several days in a row until enough cream had been collected to make butter. The cream was left to sour at that time. This helped the butter to separate from the milk when it was churned. The cream was often left out for a while before churning so that it could reach room temperature. After the butter formed balls, the buttermilk drained off and the butter was rinsed using clean water in the plunger. The butter was scooped out of the churn and put in the butter worker (also called a butter roller). This was a shallow wooden trough with a fluted roller that rolled up and down the trough when the handle was turned. Then water was added to the butter and then squeezed it out using a butter worker. This was done repeatedly until all the buttermilk had been removed. When the water ran clear, the butter was clean. Lastly, the butter was squeezed to get rid of the water and air that could make it go mouldy. Then salt was added and mixed to preserve the butter. Finally, the butter was made into brick shapes using butter pats on a wooden board, and printed with a stamp. Then it was ready to eat or to sell.