JULIE SOEFER
29.06.2024 - 18:49 / bhg.com
When you’re in the throes of baking or preparing your morning toast, not much is worse than having to wait for your butter to reach room temperature (except for maybe struggling to spread it when it’s chilled). If you’re constantly forgetting to allow butter to reach its ideal softness (which takes about 30 minutes to an hour), there’s an underrated kitchen staple you may want to look into: the butter crock. A butter crock can keep your butter at the perfect texture for up to a week—without being stored in the fridge.
The butter crock originated in the late 1800s, and using one simply involves adding water to the dish’s base. When paired with a half to full stick of butter, the crock creates an airtight seal that keeps the butter fresh. Like many trends, the practice is making its way back to the mainstream—it’s a bestseller at Modern Prairie, an e-commerce home and lifestyle brand and store from Melissa Gilbert.
Modern Prairie
“We know that you can leave the butter out, but it becomes gooey and can spoil,” says Nicole Haase, co-founder of Modern Prairie. “A crock helps minimize the issue, keeps the butter contained, and still gives you spreadable gold.”
Using softened butter is essential for certain baked goods, like cookies, cakes, and biscuits. Leaving your butter out (and not using a crock) for a few days is safe because the fat and salt content helps keep bacteria from growing.However, not storing it in a covered dish can expose it to contamination.
Haase recommends changing the water in your crock every two to three days for the best results. If your butter becomes too soft, just pop it back in the fridge until it returns to the desired consistency.
Not only is a butter crock functional, but it fits right in if
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