Butter and the Accessories – Old and New

Butter is a food product that has been around for centuries.  Farm families in the olden days used to make their own and this was normal procedure for their way of life.  There are still some families who make their own butter for personal use but this practice seems to be dwindling as technology and convenience have taken over.  Butter nowadays is made in a factory and is sold in every grocery store across America and the world.  Butter comes in a small compact container so butter storage is not an issue.  It is placed in the fridge or on a shelf and used as needed.

With butter being such a common household staple, products have been made for centuries that will hold this product.  Butter most often comes in a plastic container, a cardboard box or a spray bottle or can.  When the product gets home, it can either be put into the fridge or on a shelf for storage.  Some people like to put their butter on a butter dish and this allows them quick access to the butter anytime they need it.  There is no right way to store butter.  The only thing that needs to be thought about is that butter is very quick to melt and can become messy in a hurry.

The butter dish has almost become an art form in the retail world.  There are so many different versions of the dish that it should be no trouble at all to find a perfect match for any kitchen decorations or themes.  It is not uncommon to see a clear butter dish, a white butter dish along with a few patterned dishes all next to each other at the local department store.   These dishes can also be made from many different materials.  The most common made today is from plastic but it is not hard to find ones made from other materials.

In addition to the butter family, there is cream and creamers.  All of these are products that have been around for centuries and are common in many households still today.  Dishes and cups to store these products have been made since the beginning and there are people who collect these dishes and cups from way back.  It is a thrill for them to find an antique creamer dish or cup and be able to add it to their collection.  It is a piece of history for them.

Keeping butter fresh and ready to use!

I'm one of the few 'dieters' who still eats real, honest-to-goodness butter. I've flirted with margarine over the years, and even tried butter spread. But I always come back to butter, for many very good reasons!  Because of its rich, creamy mouth feel and flavor butter is by far the preferred fat to use for nearly every preparation with cooking. This includes everything from sauce making to baking to using it every morning as spread.

Why butter is so great?

Butter is a natural food product, therefore there are no chemicals, no preservatives, just cow's milk churned into buttery goodness. When heated, butter develops a magnificent nutty flavor and when used as a cooking medium, such as for sautéeing vegetables, it complements and enhances the flavors to the food that is being cooked in it. It also adds complexity to the flavor of sauces.

The butter on my grocer's shelf is wrapped in paper, four sticks to a cardboard box. I store butter in a butter dish, also known as a butter crock.  I’ve gotten a ton of question about my butter holder, the unique design of a butter crock keeps butter at the perfect "spreading" consistency by reflecting outside heat while insulating and cooling the butter. Flavor and freshness is protected by an airtight seal of water at the base of the crock. I also got a matching antique creamer which I got from ButterBell.

For Proper maintenance of a butter dish butter crock: Water should be changed out every three days. Replace existing water in the base with fresh, cold water. The crock should be stored away from heat or sunlight.

The butter crock holds up to one full stick (1/2 cup) of butter. Softened butter is packed firmly into the bell-shaped lid. Cold water is poured into the base of the crock. The lid is placed upside down back into the base of the crock. Soft, spreadable butter may be enjoyed and served right from the crock!

ORIGINAL BUTTER BELL® CROCK BRINGS BUTTER IN FROM THE COLD

French-Inspired Crock Solves Spread ability Problem; Safely Keeps Butter at Room Temperature Without Refrigeration, Spoilage or Odors

From an early age, Americans are taught butter “belongs in the fridge.” Yet, cold butter is difficult to spread, resulting in torn toast, ripped rolls and lumpy clumps on favorite foods.  So how do we enjoy soft, smooth butter while maintaining proper storage in a butter container for freshness and flavor?   

First, we can look to classic culinarians.  In the 16th century, foodies in France created a clever bell-shaped storage crock to prevent butter from spoiling while keeping it creamy and aromatically delicious.  Upon the advent of refrigeration, these little crocks slowly disappeared. Today, only true butter aficionados, chefs and European households still use them says butter dish designer.

Fortunately, the butter lovers at L. Tremain, Inc. refused to relegate this beurrier to culinary history.  The company has taken the traditional French concept, increased its effectiveness and beauty, to create an innovative butter container unit specifically for the American palate -- the Original Butter Bell® Crock. 

           

The Original Butter Bell^® Crock is a modern version of the authentic French beurrier. Made from high quality, durable stoneware, the Butter Bell safely keeps butter at room temperature --on the counter or tabletop -- without spoilage, refrigeration or odors. L. Tremain has recreated and improved this natural method of preserving the creamy texture and delicate flavor that makes butter the most desirable and most-used spread in the world.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The Butter Bell crock’s innovative design keeps butter at the perfect “spreading” consistency by reflecting outside heat while insulating and cooling the butter.  Flavor and freshness is protected by an airtight seal of water at the base of the crock.

           

The Butter Bell’s unique lid -- an upside-down butter cup -- maximizes stability during usage while providing a temporary resting place for butter knives.  This lid is specifically created to provide internal and surface tension necessary to hold the butter in place.  The lid nestles in, but does not touch the base of the Butter Bell’s decorated crock.

           

Specifically designed, the depth of the base and the length of the hanging cup are precisely measured to allow placement of water in the vessel, while leaving enough space for circulation of the right amount of air and moisture needed to cool and hydrate the butter says tea infuser designer. The Butter Bell provides a clean method of storage of up to one full stick of butter while providing an easy, practical method of butter retrieval.

           

The Butter Bell crock allows for more measured control of butter application. In other words, you use less butter without sacrificing flavor -- important for today’s health-conscious consumers.  For those who can’t or don’t wish to use butter, the Butter Bell crock can also safely hold a full stick of margarine.

           

The product has the endorsement of noted chefs from Paris, France to Florence, Italy to New York City and Los Angeles. Chef Peter Roelant of Wine Bistro in Los Angeles, CA says, “The Butter Bell crock allows the flavors of fresh, herbed butters to blend beautifully for a rich, delicious taste.  Chef Jean Francois Meteigner of La Cachette Bistro, also in Los Angeles says “The Butter Bell crock enhances the taste of fresh, herbal butters while making a wonderful presentation piece.”  Challenge Dairy Products, Inc., one of the nation’s top butter manufacturers endorses the butter crock as a storage method to “enhance the use and pleasure of using fresh creamery butter.”

The Secret to Keeping Butter Fresh and Creamy

Are you familiar with the French Butter Dish? If you love butter as much as I do, you’re in for a real treat with the wonderful concept I am going to share. The French butter dish is thought to have originated in 19th Century Vallarius, France.  The French Butter dish was created out of necessity, typically handcrafted in 2 pieces.  The bottom barrel is filled partially with water, while the lid (or crock) is filled with soft butter/margarine. Once the lid is placed into the bottom barrel the water creates an air tight seal against the chambered butter. This enabled users to store their butter freely on tables and in mess halls for use throughout each meal of the day.

The unique butter dish keeps butter at the perfect "spreading" consistency by reflecting outside heat while insulating and cooling the butter. Flavor and freshness is protected by an airtight seal of water at the base of your blue butter crock.

For proper maintenance: Water should be changed out every three days. Replace existing water in the base with fresh, cold water. The crock should be stored away from heat or sunlight.

The butter crock holds up to one full stick (1/2 cup) of butter. Softened butter is packed firmly into the bell-shaped lid. Cold water is poured into the base of the crock. The lid is placed upside down back into the base of the crock. Soft, spreadable butter may be enjoyed and served right from the crock

What do I do if my butter falls into the water in the base of the crock?

Usually once you get the hang of using your Butter crock, this problem is easily solved.

Here are some helpful hints and suggestions for proper use of the Butter Bell crock:

·      Do not allow the butter to become too soft before packing it into the bell shaped lid. The butter should be firm enough so that is not slipping off the knife before packing the lid. When the butter is slightly firmer it packs into the lid better - just use a little "elbow grease".

·      When packing the butter into the bell shaped lid, make sure you press the butter firmly into the lid, removing all air pockets. Air pockets within the butter create a suction affect when the lid is removed from the water, pulling the butter out of the lid.

·      When using your Butter Bell crock, do not let the "Bell" sit out of the crock base for extended periods of time.

·      After each use, check the remaining butter in lid to ensure there aren't any air pockets. Use your knife to redistribute the remaining butter within the lid for better adherence tension.

·      Make sure that the Butter Bell crock is stored away from sunlight and heat. For instance, do not store on a counter near a stove/oven or in a window sill.

·      Use the coldest water possible when adding water in the base of the crock. Perhaps add a few small, smashed ice cubes if you live in a very warm climate. Make sure you're changing the water every 3 days. This step ensures fresher butter for longer periods of time.

·      Wash thoroughly between use

How to keep butter at room temperatures?

Have you ever noticed that all cooking recipes require the use of room temperature butter? But waiting for refrigerated butter to soften can be a drag. We also cannot keep the butter at room temperature without spoiling and must refrigerate it. But constantly having to thaw and refrigerate the butter will affect its flavors and quality. So what if you could keep the butter at spreadable room temperature and also retain its freshness at the same time? The solution is simple: use a butter dish! This ingenious pottery creation keeps your butter warm and spreadable without causing spoilage.

The white butter crock is a simple design. It stores the butter in a cup with a solid dish attached to act as a serving platform and as a lid. The butter cup is then submerged into a large crockery cup that contains enough water to create a tight seal on the lid. This seal protects the butter and keeps it cooled without refrigeration. The design of the crockery naturally warms the temperature inside the cup and softens the butter without causing it to melt. Now you can have spreadable room temperature butter whenever you want. For all your cooking recipes, you’ll notice much richer tastes and aromatic smells. Fresh toast with room temperature butter will taste all the more delicious.

A good combination to have with your buttered toast is tea. But one should only have fresh tea, in the sense that you should boil tea leaves in hot water to get the most flavors out of the tea. You can use a tea steeper to prevent the leaves from falling into your cup. Nothing ruins the experience of tea than drinking a dry tea leaf. But clean and fresh tea is a perfect and healthy refreshment to balance your savory buttered toast.

You can store your butter in various dishes. A colored yellow butter crock can match the texture and color properties of the butter and make it more personal to store. Just like your standard salt, pepper and flour jars, your kitchen cabinet can be decorated with colorful butter dishes and crocks. This is also a convenience as all your condiments and ingredients can be stored together. Reaching for fresh, room temperature butter is now a possibility!