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!