Crumbs in the butter: ok or no way?

[arminnie]

Since I lived alone for decades I did not care about crumbs in the butter (although that seldom happened) as it was just me.

 

[Marchand63]

Every time I have dinner at my parents' house, I get into a debate with my dad over crumbs in the butter. He always leaves tons of crumbs in the shared butter, whether it be a tub of margarine or a stick of butter, and I am completely grossed out by this. He seems to think it's no big deal. His take: it's only crumbs, I'm being overly sensitive. My take: it's not MY food that's in there, it could be crumbs of goodness-know-what, it's unsanitary, and it's just plain GROSS. I mean, I don't even leave crumbs in my own butter at home when I'm the only one who is using it!

So what do you think? Is it disgusting to leave crumbs in the butter (or other spreaded condiments) or am do I just need to get over it? Or does it not bother you one way or the other?

I think it's his butter he can do as he likes. Bring your own next time. Not an argument I would have every time together with my Dad.

 

[Meriweather]

I don't mind it in my butter.....at home. I am the only one that uses it.
But don't like it at other people's home.
And I wouldn't serve crumbly butter to guests

 

[Heidict]

Ugh, I hate it. Even if it is at my own house. If I am using the butter for toast myself, I can deal, but when I want to use it for something else, I don't need old mushy toast crumbs getting into my other food. Yuck.

 

[Mermaid02]

If it's the butter that is strictly for toast I don't mind. If it's my OTHER butter dish then I am not happy.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I am squarely and forever in the NO-crumbs, or whatever in the butter and/or condiments, etc...
You will not see that here!

BUT, ummm.... it is your Dad's house and his butter/margarine.
Choose your battles, people.
Choose your battles.

 

[sam_gordon]

OK, so I'm curious... how do you avoid the crumbs?

I would get bread, put butter on the knife and then butter the bread. If I didn't get enough butter, I need to get some more. Or, if I ate the buttered bread and wanted another piece, I use the same knife.

So for those of you who say "no crumbs" do you wipe the knife off before putting it in the butter? Do you use a different knife each time?

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Only if they are my crumbs, then it's totally cool

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Not only do I not like crumbs in my butter/margarine, I also "require" that it remain flat on top. I remove butter from the tub in layers as I work towards the bottom. It drives me CRAZY when people gouge straight down to the bottom with a knife and leave a big hole in the middle.

OK, so I'm curious... how do you avoid the crumbs?

Well, I personally do not wipe off my knife or get a new one. If I need to go back for more butter, I just make sure that I pick up any crumbs that I happen to leave behind with my knife and spread them onto whatever I am buttering. IMO the biggest way that crumbs end up in the butter to begin with is when people take too much butter or margarine initially and then wipe the excess off on the side of the container. The next person doesn't want those crumbs, so they dive into a "cleaner" section and by the end of the container, you have nothing left but crumb butter. AND, if you are frugal, you will then use a rubber scraper to clean out the container, crumbs and all, and proceed to scrape that onto the top of the new container of butter.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I pick crumbs out of the butter tub as I use it .I never thought to wipe off the knife.Will do that! I'm more careful not mixing the Peanut butter with the jelly. It drives me crazy to have a dirty knife in the sink full of peanut butter. I always wipe the extra off before putting it in the sink. My kids and DH just plop it in yuck. Sooo no crumbs in my butter.

 

[MIGrandma]

This brings to mind a morning many, many years ago when I spent the night at a girlfriend's house. Her Mom made breakfast for us in the morning and when we sat down at the table my friend immediate said "don't leave crumbs in the butter, my Mom hates that!" I think of that time every time I see crumbs in butter.

As for our own butter, nope don't like crumbs left in it.

No peanut butter left in the jelly jar, or jelly left in the peanut butter jar either. Yuck. Either wipe the knife off with a paper towel, or use two knives.

 

[tvguy]

I'm 60.
There have always been crumbs in our margarine. The only butter we buy is stick and is used for cooking.

It's like getting wet when it rains, just part of life.

 

[NFLDERS]

https://www.southernladymagazine.com/etiquette-qa-bread-and-butter-basics/

Plates are our friends!

 

[jaiminee krikit]

ewwwww

EVen worse, DHs family rolls their corn in the cob in shared butter, GROSS!!!!

We share our corn on the cob butter, but it's the designated corn on the cob stick of butter. That's all it's for, and we only use it on a clean piece of corn (no double dipping). And when corn on the cob season is over, that stick of butter goes in the trash - never used for anything else.

But I do hate crumbs in my tub of butter. My exMIL has toast for breakfast every day and there are always toast crumbs in the butter tub at their house. Always grossed me out. If I do get crumbs in the butter, I will wipe my knife off with a clean napkin and get the crumbs out. Ick.

 

[mom2rtk]

This brings to mind a morning many, many years ago when I spent the night at a girlfriend's house. Her Mom made breakfast for us in the morning and when we sat down at the table my friend immediate said "don't leave crumbs in the butter, my Mom hates that!" I think of that time every time I see crumbs in butter.

As for our own butter, nope don't like crumbs left in it.

No peanut butter left in the jelly jar, or jelly left in the peanut butter jar either. Yuck. Either wipe the knife off with a paper towel, or use two knives.

I typically just use 2 knives.

We share our corn on the cob butter, but it's the designated corn on the cob stick of butter. That's all it's for, and we only use it on a clean piece of corn (no double dipping). And when corn on the cob season is over, that stick of butter goes in the trash - never used for anything else.

But I do hate crumbs in my tub of butter. My exMIL has toast for breakfast every day and there are always toast crumbs in the butter tub at their house. Always grossed me out. If I do get crumbs in the butter, I will wipe my knife off with a clean napkin and get the crumbs out. Ick.

I sacrifice a stick of butter when we have corn on the cob. We leave it covered in the fridge on a plate until the corn is gone, then I throw it out. We all use the same stick, but only before taking the first bite, so no shared germs.

 

[Nancyg56]

I hate crumbs in the butter and if I see any I will scrape that entire area off and toss it. DH leaves them, but it is not an argument I am willing to have, so I just throw away any "crumby" parts.

If anyone rubs corn on my butter dish I cringe! DH family all did that and he still will on occasion. YUCH! Take some and put it on your plate.

ETA: Years ago when I was first married a neighbor told me that you could usually tell how clean a kitchen was based on the condition of the butter dish. I never forgot that, and honestly, I make sure I do not have a messy dish. No putting a clean stick on a used butter dish in Nan's kitchen! I also cannot help looking at my dishes or food in someone one's house if they place a slimy or dirty butter dish out.

 

[Micca]

I notice this thread was started in 2006 but I think the poll is still valid. It seems to be...(wait for it)...Within the margarine of error

 

[mom2rtk]

I notice this thread was started in 2006 but I think the poll is still valid. It seems to be...(wait for it)...Within the margarine of error

He'll be here all week folks.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I can't stand it. It's one of my pet peeves.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

No problem for me.

But it is always my crumbs. We have two tubs at our house. One is "glutened" and one is gluten free. There are never crumbs in the gluten free one, because I don't put them there.

I don't know what the other one looks like, because I never use it.