On Imbolc, I will set up an Altar for Brigid, and welcome Brigid’s sculpture to our Sacred Mothers and Goddesses Collection with homemade butter to bless and “fertilize” this new Altar Art for Brigid.
It is said that Goddess Brigid would travel around farms all over Ireland with her white cow and bless the animals. So on this day, butter would be churned and placed with fresh bread, and some corn meal for her cow and left sitting out on the windowsill.
Furthermore, according to Kevin Danaher, in The Year in Ireland, butter served on Brigid’s Feast Day had to be churned on the same day. This may have been because, according to this wonderful source of Imbolc folklore and history, the churning of butter with a dash (a staff or plunger) was necessary for the fertilization of the Brídeóg (a doll or effigy of Brigid) – so this is perfect if you purchase our Brigid Sculpture, and/or if you make your own Brigid doll.
To make some butter to honor Brigid on Her day,
You need a high fat content cream to make butter. Heavy whipping cream or heavy cream simply place a clean marble in a baby food jar and pour in some room temperature full cream. Pour the heavy whipping cream into a glass jar and screw the lid on tight, and shake vigorously for five minutes or so until you get past the whipped cream stage, then to the stage where you will feel a solid bouncing around in the jar with a liquid, that solid is the homemade butter- so you stop shaking at this point.- do not over shake, or they will remix and the butter is ruined. You then strain and rinse the butter. Do not toss the liquid, as you can use it to make smoothies, oatmeal, soups, baked goods and other recipes.
This is a great blog for step y step instructions for homemade butter
You can also make Herb Butter:
- Butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
- Fresh rosemary – minced (1/2 tbsp)
- Fresh red clover blossoms – or Thyme leaves- minced (1/2 tbsp):
Instructions:
- Let butter come to room temperature, until softened.
- Mix fresh herbs into the butter using a mixer or manually.
- Place on saran wrap and form into a ball or log. Tie off the ends.
- Refrigerate until cold and solid
Enjoy!