Butter Churn

This wooden Delaval butter churn was found at an unknown farm in Powell River. Butter churns were an object used to turn cream into butter. This is done through a rotating device that is cranked to separate the buttermilk from the butter. 

There are a variety of butter churns; the one portrayed here is the barrel type, but there are also paddle and plunger types.

Butter was handmade this way up until the 19th century. In 1870, Swedish engineer Carl Gustaf Patrik de Laval introduced the centrifugal cream separator, which speeded up the process.

Watch the videos below to see how butter is made!