Our New Life in the Country: My Spurtle.......

Tuesday, 7 September 2010

My Spurtle.......

A couple of you asked 'what is a spurtle'......so especially for you, here is a picture of my Spurtle.

They originated in the fifteenth century in Scotland, originally more of a spatula shape but that modified over many years to become a more wooden spoon handle shape. They are designed for stirring porridge or oatmeal. They can be plain and simple, as mine is, or decorated and carved very ornately, especially at the top with the Scots thistle being a very popular topper.

I asked Ben to make me one so I could see my very own utensil being made, it was wonderful to watch a rough piece of wood, Cherry in the case, being turned into a useful item of kitchenalia. This is him actually making it for me.

A nice and useful, souvenir of a wonderful day out.

(Can you guess by what's stood behind it in the picture what I'm up to today?)

Sue xx

6 comments:

foreveryoung7 September 2010 at 10:13
Hi Sue. Glad you had a great weekend. We went to a Wild Food Festival in St David's and watched some woodturning as well. I think you are going to use your spirtle to make cranachan, a Scottish dessert with oats, raspeberries, whiskey and cream - But, unfortunately, perhaps not. Is it on the diet? Ann
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Anonymous7 September 2010 at 11:51
I have heard of this kitchen tool before, living in north Northumberland close to the Borders there will be people using these around here. My husband will know I'm sure. Very interesting post.

CJ xx
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foreveryoung7 September 2010 at 15:57
My second thought is of course that you are going to make porridge - but with vinegar in it! Can't wait to find out. Ann
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landcuckoo7 September 2010 at 17:06
Aaaahh, that answers that question then! Thank you! Your porridge will taste so much better now.
Take care
Sarah x
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BadPenny8 September 2010 at 10:52
Oh I have one & didn't know it was named that !
For some reason I thought you'd bought the actual wooden contraption that makes them !!! Der !

I use my Spurtle for..... making holes for seedlings !!!
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Jak9 September 2010 at 08:54
Mystery solved, thanks for enlightening us.
Jak x
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Comments are now turned off for this old blog of mine. Thank you for reading the posts, I hope you enjoyed them. xx

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This was my Blog, just me writing about our day to day life learning all about and then living the smallholding life. First we started on a farm in Oxfordshire, then we moved to a smaller place in Berkshire (both in England) and then we found a place of our very own at the bottom of a hillside in North Wales. Along for the ride were all our various animals, and we ended up with just our dogs, Suky and Mavis, our cat Ginger .... who secretly thinks he's one of the canine gang, a sheep called Ethel who wandered in off the road and stayed... and a roving band of egg laying chickens that live cheek by jowl with the local wildlife.

We grow our own fruit and vegetables, selling surplus plants and edibles at the gate. We sell the eggs the chickens lay, we reuse, recycle and rethink ... and life ticks over at a pace that suits us.

It was simply the wild and wacky ramblings of a 50 something townie turned country girl called Sue, who lost her heart to a sailor and started a new life in the country .... many years ago. On a path that took us from Cumbria to Oxfordshire, to Berkshire and then we found our home at the bottom of a wet and windy Welsh hillside by a busy main road.

Pull up a chair, grab a coffee and relax into a world of dogs, cats, chickens, polytunnels and veggies with the occasional grass munching sheep thrown in for good measure.

Sue xx

Disclaimer

Our New Life in the Country is my blog.

I use it to chart the day by day, week by week, year by year goings on in mine and Lovely Hubby's life. In it I also express my views and opinions, and say what I do and occasionally how I do it. I am hoping that this will prove to be a useful reminder for myself of how we did things, as we continue in our learning process.

If you chose to follow my practices it is assumed that you will do so with care and consideration, and question where necessary any methods or techniques I use to your own satisfaction and match them to your own circumstances.

The pictures in each blog post are taken by me unless otherwise credited, and as such should not be borrowed and used elsewhere without my consent.