old churn?

[morninglory]

I bought an old churn at a swap meet and have no way of knowing if it is just an ornament to look at or can be safely used for making pickles. It is a large churn like you would sit in a chair and do the dasher up and down. Is there some way to tell if it is a food safe container. I know so many people like to make reproductions and am concerned about it being safe.I plan to use it to make saurkraut or pickles if it is food safe.

[BarbadosSheep]

I would not use it unless you test it for lead. You can buy lead test kits for around $20 on-line. Old glazes can have anything in them. Most things won't leach out, but lead will.

[madness]

If you ever make it to Austin, I have a device (x-ray analyzer) that will tell if it has lead in it.

I've heard both good and bad about the lead test kits. If it shows a positive, you certainly have a lead issue. But if it shows negative, you might not have enough to show up, but it still might be more than you want in your food. But I have no personal experience with them.

[BarbadosSheep]

I think I'd just use a food grade plastic bucket and keep the crock for decoration.

[FarmboyBill]

Do whatcha want. U young people always think that everything old is, be cause its old, dangerious. Because your young, you havnt had the experiences with those old dangerious things, so u just lump them in a dangerious pile and forget about it.

I wouldnt buy it either if I were you. Id leave it for someone who knows that nobody they ever heard of ever got anything out of eateing pickles outta crock. Im 64 and I grew up eateing pickles, saurkraut, out of crocks that were already ancient by my time.

Im haveing to do hard machanical work on a John Deere B tractor that, likely, some young guy got hold of, and didnt know squat about it and tore out the oil pump.


If you young people dont know what your doing, OR are afraid to handle/work with.use old stuff, PLEASE, do all of whats left of us who DO KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH AND USE the old stuff, a favor, and leave it alone.

[coolrunnin]

Why don't you tell them how you really feel. And you never learn unless you do at least that was how I learned all the important lessons.

[DamnearaFarm]

A bit harsh, huh, Bill? How about you actually READ the op's post?

[Old Vet]

Nothing is food safe if it has a hairline crack in it or a chip in it. That being a side issue the you are worried that it has lead in it. Get a test kit and see. I wouldn't worry because a lot of lead in the finish is just their and will letch out but in so small amount that you wouldn't be able to measure it without an electron microscope or other really sensitive piece of machinery. I am like FarmBoyBill in that I ate many pickles and sauerkraut made in a crock. I even used to live where you could get lead paint.