Moldy butter in my Le Creuset Butter Crock

[Miss Needle]

I've been storing my butter in my LC butter crock which allows you to keep the butter at room temperature for some time. It operates via a system where you add water on the bottom of the crock to create a vacuum seal to preserve the butter. You're supposed to change the water every 4 days. I forgot to change the water for about a week. When I opened the crock to get some butter for my dish, there was some green mold on the top. Was it due to cross-contamination or did it happen due to not changing the water? Currently I'm keeping the butter in the fridge in my crock.

Here's a link to the crock I have:

http://www.distinctive-decor.com/le-c...

[Martacorinne]

Seriously, even growing up we didn't have a butter crock and I never saw mold EVER on butter. Cross contamination is your problem, don't blame the butter crock.

[MetricCook]

Is a crock related to the pot in pot cooler?
http://www.brinq.com/workshop/archive...

The attached top to bowl seems to be to defeat the purpose. First it blocks the water to evaporate, hence to cool butter. Second, the top attached to bowl would allow transfer surrounding air heat to butter. It would work better in areas with low humidity, to allow better evaporation to happen. Just my two cents.

[Miss Needle]

Thank you for all of your responses! I think it was probably due to cross contamination (probably toast crumbs from my knife). I'm actually thinking about keeping the crock in the fridge because I noticed that we use a lot less butter.

[Hungry Celeste]

If you put the crock in the fridge, you don't really need to bother with the water. The fridge will keep it fresh.

[gourmanda]

I have a similar crock that I use, only because it was a gift. I never change the water in it until I'm washing it to put in a new stick of butter (every 2 weeks or so) and never a mold problem. Prior to the crock I kept a stick of butter on a butter dish in the cupboard, same as my grandmother for 80 years. Never a bit of mold. Either something got on your butter or it was bad butter to begin with.

[ccbweb]

Sounds ilke it just got dirty and the lack of a water change let something grow. I'd bet you cleaned it thoroughly and if you go back to changing the water you won't have repeat issues.

[archangelcat]

I have the Butter Bell, and love it. No mold, doesn't the butter slip out of your crock if it's in the fridge? Or maybe it's a different set-up. Anyway, in hot weather we change water frequently, but even when it goes a number of days butter is sweet and perfect. I had to replace one when my cat jumped on the counter and knocked it off (so sad)...but I couldn't do without it. Someone makes a new spreadable butter that has a bit of canola oil in it that is also great.

[Hungry Celeste]

I don't have one of these butter crocks, but my parents (and grandparents before them) kept butter in a regular ol' butter dish on the countertop, no refrigeration. Of course, they go thru a stick every 8-10 days, so it never hangs around for a long time and it is always covered. Not many kinds of mold like pure fat/butter, so I'd wager it was from toast particles or other substances getting into the butter.

[foodstorm]

I have a crock similar to yours and I change the water e/o day. Sometimes we get sloppy and I find a crumb or two in it, but it has never gotten moldy.

[foiegras]

I too use either a glass or creamware butter dish and leave it on the counter. I keep it covered, and I'm not sure exactly how long it takes me to go through a stick of butter, but probably about two weeks, give or take? I have seen mold only once in all these years.

[Soop]

I knew there was a good reason to hate toast crumbs in butter!!!

Oh, and my (salted) butter is out on the counter uncovered. Never seems to go bad.