We found this bit o’Irish porcelain in the back of a cupboard while settling into a new apartment.
We had no idea what it was, but for some reason it spoke to us. It survived several kitchen reorganizings, mug purgings, and an international move. But we still didn’t know its true purpose. Until now.
Can anybody guess? The interior is smooth, glazed porcelain; outer dimensions: 2 1/2” high x 2 1/2” diameter at widest point.
(The answer will be posted tomorrow.)
- Nora
egg coddler?
Some sort of butter keeper?
I go with butter keeper too, but I can't quite figure it out.
I thought butter keeper too, but it seems a little small. A salt jar, maybe?
is there a photo?
I'll guess salt cellar, blindly.
yeah, i was thinking either some kind of spice keeper or egg cup. i guess you could also serve a single new potato in it... :)
We've received a few complaints from folks who can't see the photo - we're trying to figure out why... there is definitely a photo there, in fact, there are two. For those who cannot see the photos, what browser are you using?
Sara Kate:
On Firefox I can see the photos, on Internet Exporer, I can't.
For clotted cream?
My first thought was that it was a butter bell, but if so, it seems to be missing a piece.
problem fixed on Safari
(and it's not a salt cellar after all)
A 'drippings' holder? (fat from pork/roast beef drippings...?)
Egg coddler (screw top keeps the water out, hole can be used to fish it out of the water (when it has a chain around it).
I was first thinking an egg cup but then a custard bowl leaped into my memory of when I was young.
I'm going to go with Christina and say it's a butter bell.
I was wondering about that screw top
I think Mark has the answer
What a lovely bit of custard you could coddle
a Chinese version with scallions and clams.
Yes, I think it's the egg coddler as Mark said. My mom has one from England.
Margery
It's a butter bell, isn't it?
Definately not a butter bell - where does the butter go? Where is the water kept?
This looks just like the egg coddlers I grew up with - ours were a different design - but the shape with the little cap that screws on, roughly the same size -- I'd coddle eggs in it.
So what is it? (It's tomorrow.)
Salt holder?
Egg coddler. Screws shut to keep the water out, has a loop at the top to pick it up with some tool or other, smooth porcelain to allow the egg to come out easily without sticking.
I have a pair around here somewhere...
You put the butter in the top compartment and some water in the bottom compartment. This keeps the butter soft, even in the fridge.
Looks like an egg coddler, but I wonder...could it be a custard vessel?
Its an egg cup. Put the egg in and place cup in a water bath in a pan on the stove. Over easy, medium, hard, just the way you like it. I have several similar ones I got from my Mother.