"BLUING"
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I'm trying to write something on "wash day" from eons ago. My parents
and grandparents, in the 1940's, always put "bluing" in the water. I'm
trying to remember the particular name of the "bluing," and I know that
it wasn't "Mrs. Stewart's."
This particular kind of "bluing" came in a small package like birthday
candles, And, as a matter of fact, the bluing sticks were about
the size of a birthday candle. I can remember this because I would beg
to hold the stick and swirl it through the rinse water...to see
the blue swirls...
Back in the day, the country folk usually reserved fried chicken for
Sunday's. And, they served it at the "dinner" meal. For the
"younger
folks," dinner was the noon meal. Supper was the evening meal. I can
remember being confused when the "modern generation" changed dinner to
lunch, and supper to dinner. Whew! Anyhow, how many people can
remember "wringing" a chicken's neck...for Sunday dinner? <grin>
Would have graduated with the MHS class of 1957 had I not
been taken back to the "countryside."
Submitted by Nolan Bailey, Class of 1957
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In Reference to “wringing” a chicken’s neck…..I was probably about 6 or 7 and I had seen my Mammaw do it a hundred times. Evidently, I was bored one day and was trying to find some entertainment…I did! I finally caught a chicken and swung it round and round a few times and figured it was dead (like Mammaw’s). I let go and that chicken ran off, making very strange sounds. I was never able to catch that chicken again. Needless to say, my bottom was spanked and I learned a very valuable lesson. Leave Mammaw’s chickens alone!
Submitted by Kathy Walden Wusterhausen, Class of 1956
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A quick note about wringing a chicken’s neck. I’m no expert, but I did it enough when I was pre-teen to know that it’s not hard to do. After the chicken is caught (use the hooked wire method) use your left arm and hand to hold the chicken next to your body to keep the chicken still. Place your right hand over the head, and release the chicken from underneath your left arm. As it drops spin your right hand in a circle while holding the chicken’s head tightly. About two spins will do it. If you do more you run the risk of breaking the skin and that can get messy. After wringing the neck we would put the chicken on the ground and it would die usually in a minute or so. However, it might do a lot of flopping around first. That’s usually when the squeamish freaked out. J However, the flopping could be even worse if the wringing had broken the skin on the chicken’s neck. In that case the flopping could sling blood everywhere. I’m sure there were other variations on the exact techniques folks used and they all probably worked pretty well. One other comment about Sunday, preachers, and chickens. Do you know what they call a Baptist preacher’s belt? It’s a corral around a chicken grave yard. J I’ve been told that joke got started because so many families served chicken cooked in various ways when their pastor, or deacons, came for a Sunday meal. Works for me!
Submitted by Bill Scott, Class of 1961
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