Spurtles

A spurtle is a Scottish cooking tool made from wood. These tools have a long history in Scotland dating back to the 15th century — possibly earlier.

Over the centuries, the shape of the spurtle evolved into a round stick-like tool used for making porridge. A spurtle is used instead of a spoon to keep from tearing apart or crushing the oats. It can be used for constant stirring, helping to prevent large lumps from forming in the oatmeal.

I was very interested in the historical nature of the spurtle and I purchased one that was handmade by Al Pentland. The idea was that my husband would use it for porridge, but before he could try it out, I used it to make fudge. I found the handle to be ergonomically comfortable and my fudge seemed creamier than usual. I didn’t even require a spoon to pour the fudge in the pan. The spurtle was easy to clean and the decorative woodburning makes it an attractive utensil. I plan on using my (our) new spurtle whenever I have to cook and stir ingredients. Guess we’ll be eating more fudge at my house!

Yvette