This morning, when I sauntered into the kitchen, thinking of buttered toast and jam, with a lovely cup of tea, I had cause to think grateful thoughts of my butter bell. My kitchen is so hot that the coconut oil has liquified, and just standing in it makes me feel like I’m melting into a puddle. If had tried to keep my butter in a butter dish, it too would have melted into a puddle. The other option would be to keep it in the fridge so that it was rock-hard. Neither option really appeals to me, and when I reach for the butter bell, with it’s nice, soft, spreadable butter, I realize how happy I am to have this useful bit of crockery in my kitchen.
The butter bell consists of two parts:
You pack the butter into the top part (mine holds 1/2 cup), and then put cool water in the lower part. The water keeps the butter from exposure to the air, so that it doesn’t turn rancid, and it stays nice and fresh (and soft and spreadable). They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, so they can fit well into any kitchen. If you don’t have one, and you are suffering from the heat…I highly recommend one. They are inexpensive and useful. You can find them at most kitchen stores, and online.