Ditties
Ditten are rectangular plates made from dried cow dung , which were used on the wood-poor Halligen for heating and cooking until the 1960s - before they were connected to the power grid .
Manufacturing
The cow dung, which was necessary for the production of the ditten, was collected in bins in the ground during the winter. These dung pots, which were mostly located on the north side of the stable buildings, held approx. 75 m³. This was spread out on the hillside in spring . Then the cow dung was pounded barefoot or in wool socks to remove the first moisture from the dung. The area was then tamped with a tamper to form an evenly thick layer. Two to three weeks later the manure had dried up and was cut into rectangles about 20 × 20 cm in size with the "Dittenstecher", a spade-like tool. These were leaned against each other and had to dry for another two to three weeks. After this time, the ditties were turned over to allow the underside to dry as well. After another 3 - 4 weeks, the finished ditties were first placed in so-called clusters and usually stacked in the attic in autumn. Each household needed around 20,000 ditties for one heating season. For cooking and heating, they were pushed into the Dittenloch (a shaft that leads from the attic into the kitchen) every day, so that they were available there directly by the side oven.