Friday Favorite

It's June, July, or August.  It's hot.  It's humid.  I need a snack, so I go to the pantry and pull out some graham crackers.  I go to the refrigerator and pull out some butter.  (There is nothing better than graham crackers slathered with butter!)  I attempt to spread the butter on the crackers and end up with a counter covered with cracker crumbs.  Why?  Because the butter is hard, straight out of the refrigerator, utterly unspreadable.

Butter is a beautiful thing and must be preserved at all costs.  In the summer I can't leave the butter out of the fridge for too long because it gets skunky and blistery and downright unhealthy to eat.  What's a girl to do if she needs to have spreadable butter at a moment's notice in the Minnesota summertime? 

The answer and today's favorite is...the butter bell.

Image compliments of Pinch My Salt

The butter bell is one of the best inventions ever.  How it works is all very scientific, but it allows you to store butter out of the refrigerator, keeping it soft, spreadable, and fresh for up to thirty days.  I know!  It's a miracle.  The magical component?  Water.

Just pack a stick of butter into the bell part of the crock.  Then pour about 1/3 cup of water into the larger portion of the crock.  Put the bell filled with butter upside down into the water.  Don't panic, it will be okay.  The water creates a seal, which in turn keeps your butter soft and fresh.  I'm telling you, these things are great.  Try one out ~ your graham crackers will thank you.

Fancy-schmancy butter bells (photos as well) offered by Sue Pariseau