Farm Food Equipment

 

The photo above shows 4 very important items found on the farm.  At top left is a metal milk strainer used to strain milk from the milk bucket into a 10-gallon milk can.   The strainer had a screen located at the bottom of the taper and at the top of the smaller cylindrical section that extended into the milk can.  A filter cloth was placed over the screen and was held in place by a plate with holes that was laid on top of the filter cloth.  Earlier versions of this type of strainer used a cloth filter that was washed out after use, dried, and re-used.  Later the cloth filter was replaced by disposable filters that were both more sanitary and allowed the milk to pass though faster.

 

Top right is a milk bucket (about 3-gallon capacity) used for milking a cow.  Note that the shape of the bucket allows it to be held between the milker’s knees during milking.  A handle at the bottom of the bucket is for ease of pouring the milk into the strainer.

 

Lower left is an aluminum tea-pot.   This kettle might be found in the kitchen or in the milk-house – anywhere that hot water was needed for human consumption or for sterilizing or cleaning equipment.

 

Lower right is a cheese box used for separating milk-solids from whey.   Milk was allowed to clabber and ladled into the cheese box.  The whey would run out through the holes while milk solids were trapped inside.  The milk solids could be used to make ‘Cottage Cheese,” a firmer “Farmers Cheese,” or as solids that could be pressed and aged for an “Aged Cheese.”  An alternate technique was to use a muslin bag into which the clabbered milk was poured and hung on a clothesline for draining the whey from the milk solids.

 

Photo taken 2005

 

Provided by Dorothy Bayes

 

Click here for the Short-Cut Table of Contents