Anyone old enough to remember...

[tumble dryer]

Butter barrels?

I remember as a kid being sent to the corner shop - combined grocers, butchers and general heberdasherists, and among my three list scribble was (in my mind) always a pound of butter.

Is my mind playing tricks?

I think I remember wooden 'paddles' - serrated, or 'fluted' that butter was prized from within a side open barrel, which I think more 'slats' were removed the further you delved into the barrel/butter.

Senile?

ETA Obviously I googled it, but I'm not seeing what I'm trying to describe. This (from a small boy's perspective) would be around 2' - 600mm tall-ish, perfectly proportioned as a 'barrel' and was full of solid butter.)

Edited by tumble dryer on Tuesday 15th November 23:09

[glenrobbo]

When I was a young lad brought up in the country in the early 1950s, I occasionally used to help make butter on the farm where my grandad worked.
They had two of these butter churns:



And one of these for smaller quantities which sat on a counter top:



Rich creamy buttermilk was poured into the churn, the top or slats fixed in place, then the handle would be cranked for ages until your arms ached, then cranked some more. Once the cream had solidified into butter, the churn would be opened up and a dollop scooped out with a butter pat ( or paddle ) you referred to. Then you'd plop it onto a clean slab of marble and using two butter pats, shape it into a rectangular block. Place on top of a square of greaseproof paper, then weigh it on scales and adjust the weight ( usually a pound ) by slicing bits off with a knife. Fold the greaseproof paper nicely round the finished block, take another scoop and repeat.
Needless to say, it got fairly tedious after a while but it was worth it 'cos I got to ride the ponies with the farmer's kids and drive the tractors.

Edited by glenrobbo on Wednesday 16th November 00:42