Beastings Puddings

‘This,’ writes the lady who sends the information, ‘was a baked custard made of beastings but without eggs; the beastings being the very rich milk (colostrum) given by a cow shortly after calving. There was a curious bit of folk lore connected with beastings. It could not be bought; the farmer’s wife used to send a jugful to some of her oldest or best customers, “and will you please not wash out the jug.” To return the jug washed was held to bring about the death of the new-born calf.’