Back in high school I was assigned to read the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. Two granddaughters wanted mementos of their deceased grandmother and there was conflict over a handmade quilt. The eldest daughter wanted to take it to display on the wall of her city home to show off to friends and acquaintances and “not ruin it” by use. But their mom instead gave the quilt to the youngest who intended to use it and remember her grandmother fondly. The story wrestled with the idea of heritage and how to preserve it. Is heritage best preserved by an exhibit at a museum or on display at home? Or is the best way to preserve culture by learning the skills and putting these items to everyday use?
Of the hundreds of stories that filled my grade school years, this one stuck with me for the long haul and continues to come to mind whenever I’m handed a family heirloom. I suppose it’s fitting as I’m this generation’s Keeper. The one entrusted with the care, protection, and maintenance of the family history, heritage, and heirlooms. I recently inherited my great-grandmother’s butter mold from my uncle with the stipulation that he receives the first round of butter made with his granny’s pattern.
Her daughter (my Grandmommy Kilby) would say, “Use it,” whenever she gave me something like a family quilt. She did not want it to just collect dust or be kept locked in a box up in the attic. With that in mind we have set out to (attempt) learn how to use an antique wood butter mold in a modern kitchen. We hope to add a decorative touch to our clarified butter, but first we have to provide a little TLC to bring it back to full-functioning order.
Family History of the Wood Butter Mold
This butter mold originally belonged to Nettie (York) Penland (1897-1988), my great-grandmother. She lived on a homestead in the mountains surrounding Black Mountain, NC that is still standing today. Based on the palm leaf pattern, it appears this mold was created sometime between 1900-1949 assuming you can trust eBay and Etsy shop sellers. But those dates would definitely overlap with when she got married and started her own household. And this mold certainly didn’t collect dust on a shelf. It was well used over a lifetime. My great-grandparents kept a family dairy cow and churned their own butter well into their 70s!
Antique Butter Mold Restoration
In order to put this vintage butter mold into use, a little restoration was in store. As with most wooden kitchen utensils, when not properly oiled the wood dries out and cracks. So if you have an old wood butter mold that you want to use, wipe off the dust with a damp cloth and then apply a thin coat of oil over all of the wood. We used olive oil as it’s what we had on hand and already use on our wood spoons, but you can use food-grade mineral oil too. If the wood really soaks in the oil, add a second thin coat of oil.
How to use an antique wood butter mold
From what we’ve read from others who have used wood butter molds, it appeared that having the mold cool would help with the release of the butter later. My uncle remembered his granny putting hers in an ice bath. So we took their word for it and placed our mold in ice water while we made and cooled our clarified butter (aka ghee).
Unlike my great-granny, we don’t have a family dairy cow, so we source butter from a local dairy. If you have your own dairy cow, your freshly churned butter can go straight into the mold. If you don’t have a family cow like us, allow your store-bought butter to soften before pressing into the mold. Since we were already making clarified butter for cooking, we decided to mold it instead of plain butter. No matter the source of your butter, DON’T use melted butter! It will drip into all the crevices of the mold and botch your fancy butter attempts.
After pressing the butter inside the mold, level off the bottom and allow it to solidify in the refrigerator (aka modern root cellar or spring house). When solid, slide a thin knife around the edge and then push the plunger down over a plate or dish. If the mold stubbornly tries to hold onto the butter, carefully slide your knife around the top and try to avoid smearing the decorative design.
Voila! Now you’re ready to enjoy your fancy molded butter! Store in the refrigerator to hold the molded design. Use a good slather of butter with your dinner tonight and fondly remember your homesteading heritage.
Except…
Well, that is how it is supposed to work according to others who’ve tried before…but…Apparently, my great-grandmother knew something we do not, as no matter how many creative ways we tried to mold the butter we were unable to successfully get the pattern transferred over!
Originally, we tried clarified butter per the instructions above. Then we tried refrigerating it in the mold to see if it would hold the pattern if it was more solid. Negative. We tried adding a bit more oil to the wood before the ice bath to prevent sticking. Not helpful. Then we tried softening regular (non-clarified) butter and removing it while still on the soft side. Nope. We attempted allowing the regular butter to solidify at room temperature…and then refrigerated regular butter. No and no. We actually have no idea what step or trick we are missing, but we are still working to discover the secret of a beautifully molded butter. And will let you all know when we figure out the secret and are able to restore one more aspect of our agricultural heritage.
Why we preserve history
Our attempts to learn how to use an antique wood butter mold reveal one of the reasons we are so passionate about preserving traditional skills and restoring the lost knowledge of daily life. History books and textbooks document dates, names and events, but are sorely lacking in the “how” department. How did they get a bit of butter for their toast pre-battle? How did they mend that hole in their sock while exploring the wilderness?
Preserving history can look like restoring historic sites, building museums and archives, but we also need Keepers. Ordinary folk who devote their lives to acquiring, maintaining, and keeping skills and passing on the “how-to” knowledge of our ancestors. Heirloom vegetables cannot be passed along as a museum artifact. They must be grown year-after-year to preserve that tasty piece of history. A delicious paradox that in order to preserve heritage you have to eat it.
You can become a link in the preservation chain by seeking out and purchasing heirloom fruits and vegetables, meat from heritage breeds, or handcrafted items. Next time you watch someone cook a meal from scratch sans recipe or knit a hat or plant an heirloom seed, ponder the ways you’re watching heritage in action. Don’t let tactile history disappear with their hands. Learn the skill, introduce them to your Keeper friends, or purchase something they create or grow.
