Dexam 28cm Wooden Porridge Spirtle/Stirrer

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The Scots, who claim the authorship of the porridge, use a special kitchen utensil called “spurtle” to stir the porridge, which has been handed down since the 15th century. A spurtle is a stirrer made from wood. Preference is given to spurtles made of beech, maple or cherry wood. Unlike a spatula or putty knife, the spurtle does not have a spoon or shovel-like end, but only a rounded tip. This stirrer sits well in the hand and with its rounded end it is easy to work into the corners and edges of pots.

The spurtle (or "spurtel", "spurtil", "spirtle", or "spartle") [1] is a wooden Scottish kitchen tool, dating from the 15th century, that is used to stir porridge, soups, stews, and broths. [2] Spurtles are made from wood, typically beech, cherry wood, or maple. They come in a range of sizes. Traditional spurtles have stylised thistles at the top, while modern ones often have a smooth taper. [2] Old Scots spurtell is recorded from 1528. The Northern English dialect had a word spartle that meant "stirrer". The modern West Germanic and North Germanic languages, as well as Middle English, also have spurtle cognates that refer to a flat-bladed tool or utensil – so more akin to the couthie spurtle (see below) in shape. Latin spatula, as used in medicine and pharmacy, is their shared ancestor. Spatula is a diminutive of Latin spatha, a broad, flat tool or weapon, which in turn is from Ancient Greek σπαθη ("spathe"), the broad, flat tool used in weaving, or a paddle. The ultimate source of σπαθη is hypothesized to come from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) language *spe-dh- for spade and its root *spe- for a long, flat piece of wood. According to this theory, spade and spoon are also suggested as having derived from the same hypothetical PIE *spe-, potentially making those words distant cousins of spurtle. [1] [4] Couthie spurtle [ edit ] Every cook is familiar with the result of overheating: scorching. By stirring while heating up food, we can prevent scorching and still heat up food to a high temperature. But what helps when heating, can also be useful when cooling things down. Food that is stirred cools down faster.

The traditional material for a spurtle spoon is hardwood, but you can find silicon and bamboo spurtles as well. With this question we dive right into the physics and chemistry of cooking. Stirring is important for mixing ingredients on the one hand and warming up food on the other hand. You can use a spurtle in so many ways. A spurtle set can perform almost everything you usually do with your old wooden spoons and spatula. When answering the question: What is the best wood for a spurtle, it is important to point out that the best wood would be a solid hardwood. Your spurtle may be produced from Acacia, Oak, Beechwood, Maple, etc, the main thing is that it should not be a soft wood, but a natural hardwood and that your spurtle tools are made from one piece of solid wood without glue and chemical varnish.

A modern spurtle has a longer surface area than a normal spatula and at the same time a smaller handle, but its handle is wider and rounder. Monstrous or not, this is what the best critics can do: preserve what’s essentially transient. Those who despise Tynan’s worst barbs might well read his diaries. The critic’s real brutality, they will find, is reserved for himself.A spurtle is a wooden kitchen tool from Scotland that is used primarily for stirring porridge oats whilst cooking. Traditionally it is considered to be better than a spoon when it comes to mixing. One wonders what the late great critic Kenneth Tynan might have made of it all. Tynan, The Observer’s star reviewer in the 1950s and 60s, would surely have been torn. The Marxist in him — for so he declared himself — might perhaps have relished the onward march of social progress. The writer would have considered it a declaration of war. As for criticism, Tynan had his own developed views of what it was, and it had little to do with Equity directives. A critic he said, was “a man who knows the way but can’t drive the car”. Good criticism was “a self-knowing account of the way in which one’s consciousness had been modified during an evening at the theatre”. It was the “sheer complexity” of playwriting which had always fascinated him: “In an effort to understand it, I became a critic.” The rest of us may feel this about Tynan: that no writer better described what it felt like to be sitting in front of a particular play on a particular night.

Today, spurtles are used for stirring soups, gravies, and stews, as well as vegetables or even cake batter, helping to scrape the bottom of the pan without melting and without scratching your cast iron skillet. How Do You Care For a Cherry Wood Spurtle? Cons of the wood. You need to know that wood tends to absorb food odors, so after frying the fish with a wooden spurtle, you cannot knead the dough.To fix this problem, wipe your spurtle kitchen tool with a slice of lemon or vinegar and your spurtle spoon will be ready to be used again. This explains why spurtle owners allegedly never lend this simple kitchen appliance, because whoever borrows it would love it so much after a short period of time that they would never return it.

The spurtle is so closely associated with the preparation of porridge that the winner of the annual World Porridge Making Championship is awarded the “Golden Spurtle” as the main prize. When the British Sun puts his hat on and comes out to play, we are often so excited that we neglect the basic safety precautions we automatically take when abroad. But take it from Spirtle on this World Sun Awareness Day, our elusive sun can still cause horrific damage to the skin and tissues beneath if not enjoyed in moderation and with respect for the harmful power of those all-too-soothing sunbeams. At this point one seems to hear gleeful, maniacal laughter emanating from Equity’s offices on St. Martin’s Lane, at the sheer presumptuousness of the challenge laid down and its potential to enrage. But the message to reviewers is clear: you are being watched, the power is with us, and this is a game you cannot win. From now on you’ll dance to our tune. Based on form and function, the spurtle also appears in other contexts in Scottish use of language: For example, someone with thin legs is called “spurtle-legged” or one complains about a “spurtle-shot” when one feels side stings.

When it comes to cleaning your spurtle, you want to hand wash it with soapy water, rinse thoroughly, and let air dry.Wood is one of the oldest and proven materials used to make kitchen utensils.Therefore, wooden spurtle is always the best way to go. Our first sighting of ID#1143 Spirtle in 2017”– Barbara Cheney, University of Aberdeen Lighthouse Field Station 30/05/2017 Wooden tools in the kitchen, such as cooking spoons, chopping boards or even spurtles, are debated for hygienic reasons. Therefore, care is required when cleaning. A spurtle is best cleaned immediately after use by brushing and rinsing under running water. After cleaning, the spurtle should be able to dry well. Under no circumstances should the spurtle be washed in a dishwasher, as the wood of the stirrer would be exposed to the rinse water for too long and swell up. It is also recommended that wooden kitchen tools are occasionally rubbed with a little vegetable oil to keep the wood smooth.