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I became infatuated with this butter keeper recently when I gave one away. I couldn’t get it out of my heart and I gave in to the impulse to buy one for myself. After all, I have fresh butter all over the place here and no way to keep it soft and spreadable.
It keeps butter soft and spreadable and FRESH at room temperature for up to 30 days! How can that be? I had to possess this magic for myself.
A butter crock is a traditional method of keeping butter fresh without refrigeration using an airtight seal of water. It was invented by 16th century French foodies. How can we go wrong?
Except.
The whole thing makes no sense. Mais oui.
I studied the directions.
They were severely limited.
And made no sense.
For it appeared– Yes, indeedy, it appeared–
You were to put butter in the cup, add some water to the crock, then put the butter cup down into the crock UPSIDE DOWN!
We all know that’s impossible and the butter will fall out and that all those French foodies were drunk when they made this up. The butter keeper, by the way, went out of fashion when refrigeration became commonplace. Or, possibly, when people stopped drinking so heavily. It has come back into vogue with the new rise of home buttermaking and foodie-ness and…. Possibly people are drinking heavily again.
After you put the cup down in the crock, you’re supposed to just go on with your day, all the while that your butter is falling out.
Not that I can do that. I have to keep checking.
And so far, my butter has not fallen out.
Why doesn’t the butter fall out? What sort of magic oppositional gravitational force is at work here? Also, how much water are you supposed to put in there? Does anyone know? The instructions were a bit lean. Is the water supposed to touch the butter, or is there just supposed to be enough water to make an airtight seal with the rim of the cup?
P.S. The only thing I do know is that you’re supposed to change out the water at least every 3 days.
P.P.S. If you want to get one of these magic oppositional gravitational gadgets, you can get one here.
P.P.P.S. Do not blame me if you start drinking heavily.
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on May 22, 2010
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Butter if a fat, and just like oil fats float in water. So that’s likely the reason why it doesn’t “fall out” is because it has the pressure of the water beneath it to hold it inplace.
As for why it keeps for a longer period, I think it’s because with how you store the butter. It isn’t in contact for prolonged periods with anything except water. So there isn’t a chance for bacteria, mold, and various other sorts of nasties to set up shop. Either that or the water itself is a sort of perservative. (which would explain why you need to change it every few days, so it doesn’t get stagnant and gross)
That’s what I think at least! :-)
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I was telling John and his son about wanting to get one….that was their opposition…how would it not fall out??!!! From what I’ve read, the butter is supposed to touch the water, it keeps the oxygen from the butter, which keeps it fresher longer.
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I want one of these! I sometimes place some in the cupboard for the day … and then forget I did. This would solve so many problems!
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That is a strange thing isn’t it! I have no idea why the butter doesn’t fall down. It doesn’t make sense at all.
I wanted to tell you I have been having troubles pulling up your blog for a good week. It is taking it forever to load. It will say something like 137 items to load. I end up hitting the x in the box to stop it just so I can look at your post. I do have high speed internet service through HughesNet.
Angela
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p.s. I buy roll butter, 2lbs at a time, and just keep it on the counter in a large dish. It has never yet gone bad.
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Blessings from Ohio…Kim~
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She told me to wash mine with a little baking soda, which works well, but I’ve also put it in the dishwasher.
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I didn’t realise so many people still ate butter! It’s been demonised with the cholesterol hype. Maybe I should just eat the butter and take an extra statin.
My husband has to eat butter now to try to put some weight on after years of trying to lose it so he’s eating butter again. I have to say I don’t need a butter bell. It doesn’t last that long!
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I don’t have that problem with Suzanne’s blog, but I do have it with another one, sowsearhouse. It takes 10-15 minutes to load with Firefox, but comes up right away with Internet Explorer. So maybe that would work with Suzanne’s for you.
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I might try expierementing with a small clear glass & bowl to see how this actually works….I have a very curious mind.
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They’re cutest little things, great for dinner parties – everyone gets their own little butter bell.
The only downside, at least in my house, is that the Baby Bells only hold about a tablespoon of butter.
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The directions that came with it clearly stated that it worked because of “magic”. I did not question the validity of the statement because anything involving butter is “magic” to me!
Sheila
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We only use real butter in our house now, like Kathy said, all the stuff in margarine and other spreads just worries me.
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I used to have a butter bell, but find the style described above much more convenient. I simply unwrap a whole stick of butter, put it in the top crock and I’m done.
Regardless which type of butter keeper one has, I’m sure having “spreadable” butter is heavenly.
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So my point is….why?
was your butter spoiling?
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