The Best Butter Keeper

A butter keeper is a crockery container or dish used to keep your butter spreadable soft for up to 30 days. These dishes were originally used to keep fresh butter from spoiling. This was before refrigeration was an everyday item within the home. Although it is not a necessary item any longer, it has regained popularity in recent years. It is nice to have real butter on hand at room temperature when it comes to sautéing or spreading it on toast and other bread items.

Some people say the butter keeper was introduced centuries ago, but those who are authorities on the subject find that the butter keeper came about in the 1800s. They were most likely first used in Brittany or Normandy as these areas were famous for their butter production during that time period. Butter keepers can also be referred to as butter bells, butter dishes, butter crocks, and butter pots.

How a Butter Keeper Works

Understanding how a butter keeper works will help you when it comes time to purchase one. You start by filling the cup attached to the underside of the lid with your butter. Then you fill the jar with water which will create an air tight seal that keeps the butter fresh. Some degree of maintenance is required. It is recommended that you change the water at least once a week. Some people recommend changing it as much as every three days. Salt water can increase the effectiveness of the butter keeper as well.
Materials

Butter keepers come in a variety of materials. Some are beneficial while others are simply a matter of personal preference. Stoneware is a popular choice. It gives the look of an antique piece which appeals to those looking for a butter crock. In addition, it is dish washer safe and quite durable. Less expensive designs will be made of ceramic. Ceramic tends to blend nicely with many of the modern dinnerware choices.
Marble serves two purposes. The natural stone will keep the butter cool without the use of refrigeration. It also has a beautiful look to it that is timeless. Marble does need to be hand washed. High-end butter keepers are made out of bone china. This material allows for special finishes such as distressing and embossing.

Size

The size of the butter keeper will determine how much butter can be stored inside of it. You will find some of these dishes will list the capacity in ounces. Ounces would have been the original measurement used due to the fact that butter keepers where invented to keep home churned butter fresh for up to 30 days without the use of refrigeration. In today’s terms, you will find that most modern butter crocks will tell you how many sticks of butter they can hold. The average crock can keep one to one and one half sticks fresh. The average height is four to five inches with a three to four inch diameter.

Shape

The shape of a butter dish has nothing to do with how fresh it will keep the butter. It is simply a personal preference. Select one that fits in well with your current dinnerware or the style of your kitchen décor. The butter keeper can be an attractive accent piece when left on the counter top. Basic, inexpensive designs are simple cylinder shapes. Many are made to look like an old fashioned crock. You will also find ones that resemble an apothecary, but not every butter keeper is designed to look like it is one hundred years old. Sleek modern butter dishes often have unique square or rectangular shapes.

Recommendations

If you are new to the idea of a butter keeper and would like an inexpensive one to try, the Norpro Butter Dish Crock Keeper is a nice, inexpensive way to go. This all white ceramic dish holds one stick of butter. It is four inches tall with a diameter of three and one half inches. Its basic design is attractive and functional, but if you want something a little more stylish, the Norpro Glazed Stoneware Butter Keeper is the same size with a pretty blue striping. Both can be found for under $10.

Mid-price butter keepers come in a variety of materials. The unique Norpro Butter Dish Crock Keeper in marble keeps your butter cool naturally, but it does require hand washing. The Original Butter Bell Crock by L. Tremain is perfect for those looking for an old-fashioned style. It comes in an antique azure blue, and it has an embossed pattern around the sides. It is constructed of bone china, and it holds one stick of butter within its distressed finish container.

Those who want it all will enjoy the high-end Le Creuset Stoneware Butter Crock in Cherry Red for around $40-$45. The shape has an old fashioned appeal while the bright color makes it blend nicely with the most modern of kitchens. The six ounce design holds one and one half sticks of butter. The non-porous enamel glaze does not absorb odors and resists chipping and staining. It is dishwasher safe, and it includes a lifetime warranty.

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This page about Butter Keeper was composed by V. Tobies and published by Alternative.me.
It was last updated on 2024-04-25 08:17:55 and has been viewed 3894 times.