The French butter bell is having a moment in social media. It has been around for several centuries, at least in Europe. The bell allows you to safely leave butter at room temperature so that it’s soft when want it to be — for spreading on baguette or brioche, crepe or pancake, waffle or whatever.
A ceramic butter bell comes in two pieces: a cone or cup-shaped container with a saucer-like base.
Your butter is placed in the smaller cone/cup and a little water is placed in the larger cup. The butter bell is placed inside, cup side down. The water creates a seal that keeps the air (and thus oxygen) away from the butter so that refrigeration is not needed. This method will keep butter for a month or even more provided it is kept at temperatures below 80 °F (27 °C) and the water is changed regularly.
Other names for this item are “French butter keeper,” “French butter crock,” “butter crock,” “beurrier à l’eau,” “beurrier Breton,” “beurrier Normand,” “cloche de beurre,” and “pot à beurre Breton.”
Discover more from Dan Rodricks
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Dan Rodricks 
I have used one for a number of years and it works very well if you keep the money water level up to cover the bottom of the butter. So great to have soft butter at hand.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll take two – with jelly, please! Nice find, Dan, better butter!
LikeLike
excellent homestyle South Indian (recipes not the usual (Indian) ) restaurant called Sangam located in Cockeysville on Cranbrook Rd. Order a masala dosa for a surprise treat.
LikeLike
Hi Dan,
Thank you for sending this article. I love reading your articles. I have never used one of these but I imagine that yo have one at your house 😉
Today I met two of my friends in Sudbury for a 4 mile hike and then lunch at (what used to be) one of my favorite brunch restaurants called The Farmer’s Daughter https://www.thefarmersdaughtereaston.com/. There was not much on offer for someone like me (low salt, low fat) so, having already studied the menu from home, I decided to get their veggie burger and switch the ’salad’ provided with just a spring mix of greens. The burger was the strangest think I have ever tried to eat — ever — and somewhat cold. It came with melted cheddar so I imagine that at one point the ‘fake hamburger’ was actually hot. The salad was the wrong salad so I had to wait some time for a replacment. I tried to eat this thing which looked like steak Tartare but it was a total no-goer. No flavor, no texture (gel like) and just gross — like eating congealed blood because I think they used beet juice to make it look like rare meat. I ate about four small bites and some of the brioche roll and finally, once my salad arrived, I got to eat that. They actually make their own version of a meatless hamburger. Not sure why when Beyond Burger does a better job. They did not charge me (seriously, it was inedible) but at least the waitress got a tip for her efforts and the greens with their dressing was good but not filling. Thank God there was a Whole Foods nearby where I actually bought something edible at the close of the adventure. My friends Jean and Esther ordered breakfast type things and they said their meals were great. So, will probably not visit there in the near future.
Getting ready for the new year??? A new year, a new world. My friend from Zurich (who is a professor in Calgary) has, once again, offered me refuge at his home if things get a bit scary. I told him they already are scary so keep the light on. When my parents met Matthias many years ago (he and I met at a Gordon Research Conference) I invited him back to spend a few days in Boston and Kevin and I took him to the Cape for a few days. He could not eat enough lobster. Before he left we also stopped in at my parents house where my mom made another lobster feast for him. At some point during the afternoon, my father took me aside and said — Linda, that is the person you SHOULD have married. Water under the bridge now, but he was probably right.
You never know what will happen in life. My current goal is to keep a positive attitude, work hard, and never ever eat another one of those veggie burgers.
You are missed. Have fun celebrating the New Year. 2025. Time is just flying by.
LL
>
LikeLike
Interesting. My entire childhood, we kept our butter out on a small plate, not even covered. I do the same now, although I keep it covered in a butter dish with a top. Never have gotten sick from butter. A little chunky though, for sure.
LikeLike