Churns

[Peanut]

Anyone know a lot about old churns? I have one that belonged to my grandmother. It’s been used as a mop and broom holder in the laundry rm for decades.

I’d like to find out about lids for it or any other missing parts, most importantly where to buy any missing parts, add-ons?

Anyone have nice churns to show? I remember seeing this churn used. I was probably 9 or 10 before we stopped milking our own cows. But a churn was women's work in my family so I was never taught anything about it. How to milk a cow, yes. What to do with the milk, no.

This one needs a good cleaning... 40+ years of grunge built up.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Wow, thanks for the post, I remember using a glass jar and shaking, but your post made me look-up butter churns. I saw many with different types of lids, I'll bet you could make a nice lid with some butcher block and a hole saw. The ones I saw had 1 of 3 types of paddles, one was a plunger (like a flat disk close to the size of the narrowest part of the neck with evenly spaced holes attached to a dowel (shaft) that went through the hole in the lid (you moved it up and down while holding the lid down, the other 2 were basically either flat or slanted paddles (think of the veins on an arrow) attached to the end of the dowel and you spun the dowel (I think like a caveman trying to make fire) I wish I could just post the picture I saw on the web search page but it does not seem to work for me......

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Mine has a flat daisy shape with a dowel. It also has the original lid It's unlikely you will find a lid. You may have to make one out of clay. The only place to get one would be an estate or antique auction, and an old grungy looking lid on its own is more likely to just be thrown away.

 

[Grimm]

My mom has a Dazey churn and I have a Kilner churn.

 

[Grimm]

Anyone know a lot about old churns? I have one that belonged to my grandmother. It’s been used as a mop and broom holder in the laundry rm for decades.

I’d like to find out about lids for it or any other missing parts, most importantly where to buy any missing parts, add-ons?

Anyone have nice churns to show? I remember seeing this churn used. I was probably 9 or 10 before we stopped milking our own cows. But a churn was women's work in my family so I was never taught anything about it. How to milk a cow, yes. What to do with the milk, no.

This one needs a good cleaning... 40+ years of grunge built up.

View attachment 74932

Found a NOS (new old stock) lid on ebay...!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/313681731960?hash=item4908e36178:g:HZgAAOSwUzBhSS82

 

[LadyLocust]

Anyone know a lot about old churns? I have one that belonged to my grandmother. It’s been used as a mop and broom holder in the laundry rm for decades.

I’d like to find out about lids for it or any other missing parts, most importantly where to buy any missing parts, add-ons?

Anyone have nice churns to show? I remember seeing this churn used. I was probably 9 or 10 before we stopped milking our own cows. But a churn was women's work in my family so I was never taught anything about it. How to milk a cow, yes. What to do with the milk, no.

This one needs a good cleaning... 40+ years of grunge built up.

View attachment 74932

I have one similar to that. I will snap a pix when I return home. If I remember correctly, it's just a wooden lid with a hole in the middle for the dasher. Probably an important and valuable part of your grandparent's life and sustenance. I also have an "old!" electric one and a daizee (sp?) churn but missing the glass. It's on my hunt list.

 

[Grimm]

I have one similar to that. I will snap a pix when I return home. If I remember correctly, it's just a wooden lid with a hole in the middle for the dasher. Probably an important and valuable part of your grandparent's life and sustenance. I also have an "old!" electric one and a daizee (sp?) churn but missing the glass. It's on my hunt list.

Lehmans has replacement glass jars.

 

[Peanut]

I guess I was using crappy search terms, hadn't found any useful websites. But! From what I found today I have a new problem.

People use different places to measure the lids. I've found 6, 7 &8 inch and weird measurements like 5 11/16".

Where the heck is the measurement taken?

The inside lip of the opening slopes. Mine is 6 3/16ths at the top and 5 1/4 at the smallest point of the opening.

I know much more than I did this morning. I can also email some of the sellers on various sites to find out more particulars.

 

[LadyLocust]

Lehmans has replacement glass jars.

Oh thank you. That's one of those: Why didn't I think of thats?

 

[Grimm]

Oh thank you. That's one of those: Why didn't I think of thats?
View attachment 74955

This thread made me remember I wanted a stoneware churn after the girls made butter in one during our apple farm pioneer field trip not long ago. I checked Lehman's and they had replacement jars (I should get one for my mom's Dazey) and stoneware churns.



The churn is in the middle of all the kids. The lid is wood and looks like it was loose fitting. The guide had to hold it while the kids used the dasher.

 

[Amish Heart]

I have a newer crock large churn like Lehmanns sells. And the glass jar one that Grimm has. The only old crocks I have were from 1920 (my grandmas) and they weren't used for butter, they were used to store chunks of pork in fat in the basement.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I have a few of those as well. I need to test for lead in the glaze before use them. Somehow, I keep forgetting to look for a lead testing kit.

 

[Grimm]

I have a few of those as well. I need to test for lead in the glaze before use them. Somehow, I keep forgetting to look for a lead testing kit.

You can get food safe bags to line them. I use the bags in my old 5 gal buckets.

 

[Grimm]

I have a newer crock large churn like Lehmanns sells. And the glass jar one that Grimm has. The only old crocks I have were from 1920 (my grandmas) and they weren't used for butter, they were used to store chunks of pork in fat in the basement.

My folks have one of those large crocks for pork as well. They use it as a trash can in their bathroom with a trash bag but I remember climbing in it as a toddler when my mom was finishing prepping the cabbage for a ridiculously big batch of sauerkraut. I want to say it was 10 gallons with a handmade wood lid.

 

[joel]

My mother had one with a electric motor on it, It went missing.
She made real cows butter with or without salt & cheaper than the store bought stuff & could not keep it in the house.
She also sold milk & a few eggs.

 

[joel]

https://www.rootsandharvest.com/product/homestead-stoneware-butter-churn/rh-homestead-stoneware

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Butter churns are charming to look at, to say the least, but I spent a good chunk of my life churning butter with both types. Needless to say, I much prefer them as decorations.

Until, the power goes out permanently, I will continue to use a 5 qrt. Kitchen aid stand mixer with the rubber bladed mixing paddle.

 

[LadyLocust]

Mine. Looks like it has a stress crack will have to look closer. Didn't see it until I took the pix. I was thinking it had a wooden lid, but it's clay.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Maybe caused by the cream not turning and the churnee getting stressed wondering if the last hour of effort was just pig slop in the making.

 

[Tirediron]

the most important thing about churning is leaving enough room for air space, churning butter is just whipping cream for a while longer, and as clem pointed out aged is better.

 

[Peanut]

Silly me, didn’t think of it until late last night. I know where I can get lids for my churn, have them made!

There is a fine arts and cultural center in the big town. They have a big pottery shop. The University of Alabama supports the center as well as state money, it’s a really big deal. The university even has anthropology classes there. They study and recreate ancient pottery techniques.

From 2002-2014 I supplied the center with dry white oak for their kiln’s. There’s pottery, glass blowers and various other disciplines that use a kiln. I've even sold charcoal to the blacksmith shop… It’s where I got this 1,000,000 btu forge, from Steve the blacksmith.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/furnace-what.9832/
Anyway, all I need to do is take my churn to Mrs. Kennedy. She can make me some lids, slotted for churning and a cover lid. Next time they fire up the kiln she can add my little project.

The center is an amazing place, over 50 artists work out of the center. Here are a couple photo’s of pottery from their website. If any of you happen to be in Alabama its worth a stop. Also just 30miles away is the 2nd largest mound building Indian village in the US. Its a huge archaeology center.

 

[UrbanHunter]

That is so cool, I'll bet they could even take a few pictures and measurements and make you a completely new re-creation of your churn.... Lids and all.

 

[Peanut]

Those folks owe me a few favors and I've never asked for one. I guess I need to stop by next trip to town. I haven't seen any of them in a while, need to catch up.

They have a summer pottery classes sponsored by the university. I've thought about signing up for one, just never got around to it. In the past I was always working hay in summer which sets it's own schedule.

I actually have another tiny ceramic project, good time to take care of that one too.

 

[Peanut]

Ha! I was searching for something in the shop and found a strange piece of wood. It took me a moment to realize what it was... the lid for my churn! Perfect fit!

I need to scrub it good. Maybe use some lemon oil. The wood is extremely dry. Could crack if I don't do this right.

Edit... I spoke with the pottery lady recently. She said she'd make me a lid, just bring her the churn. Guess I don't need one now.

 

[Neb]

Ha! I was searching for something in the shop and found a strange piece of wood. It took me a moment to realize what it was... the lid for my churn! Perfect fit!

I need to scrub it good. Maybe use some lemon oil. The wood is extremely dry. Could crack if I don't do this right.

Edit... I spoke with the pottery lady recently. She said she'd make me a lid, just bring her the churn. Guess I don't need one now.

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"
I wise man goes into his store house and beings forth treasures both old and new.
"

Ben