Churn Churn

When I was growing up fridges were rare in middle class families and we only got ours when I was in High School. We stored water in earthen or clay water pots . I remember the cool, earth scented clean water which was so refreshing. On our train journeys we carried a small earthen water jar in a special wooden frame.

We only ate freshly cooked food. Left overs were given away to servants or poor people.Fresh purchases were made everyday to make sure nothing perished or spoiled.Winter time was no problem but in the summer fruit and vegetables were kept outside in the garden to keep cool and fresh in the softly falling dew.

I think we had a closer walk with nature than we have now. In this modern age we are slaves of technology to a great extent.

One happy childhood memory was making ice cream at home. It was an event we looked forward to eagerly. We could have huge bowls full of delicious ice cream with mango or musk melon.

We either borrowed or hired an ice cream maker. It was a wooden pail with steel container fitted with a churn and a handle. Lots of milk was bought and boiled before hand. (In India milk has to be thoroughly boiled to kill bacteria). It was mixed with ice cream powder and sugar. We bought lots of ice from the baraf wala- or ice man, who came around with slabs of ice wrapped in gunny sacks on a trolley.


The ice was carefully broken into small pieces and wrapped in burlap to prevent it from melting. That night we had a light meal. Close family and friends were invited for the ice cream party.The steel container was filled with the prepared ice cream mixture and place in the pail.Then it was packed with ice and a special salt called shora (I don 't know the English name maybe sea salt) The churning of turning of the handle came next. My Dad and uncles exerted themselves, while us kids waited in joyful anticipation for the delicious outcome of their labour. Oh I tell the taste of that home made ice cream cannot be compared with the store bought desserts we get today. It was flavored with love and togetherness, that 's what made the difference.
Sometimes churning produces good results doesn 't it- philosophically speaking.

What sweet childhood memory do you have - something old fashioned you did as a family.
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You know friends. I clicked on a wrong button somewhere and lost a whole lot of photos and graphics I was hoping to use in my on coming posts. Punishing technology.