butter crocks

butter crocks
Originally uploaded by Bridgman Pottery

A little project I've been working on. Butter crocks. A lidded vessel with an lid attached to an inverted cup to fill with butter. You put a little water in the base- an inch or so. When you put the lid on the base, the water forms a seal to keep air out. The butter stays soft and sweet.

They aren't hard, exactly, but they do have to fit right. I made three, ditched one, need to refire a second, and am happy with the third. The piece with the obvious gap between the lid and the bowl? Because the cup is just a hair too long.

My friend Elisabeth introduced me to these a few years ago. She made some and I used it quite a bit. Her's were a bit larger than mine, but about the same shape as the piece on the right. For a long time I tried to make them in the same shape as my honey pots, like a bee skep, but they never worked well.

I played with the idea a little yesterday- tinkering with the shape and size, but I think once I get it down, I can crank them out. Once school starts, that is!