Keep a Melted Butter Jar Near Your Stove

Whenever I melt butter for brushing, drizzling, or dunking (or popcorn), I almost always overestimate the amount of butter I need to melt, and end up with a little extra. Melted butter can never be unmelted. It can re-solidify, but it won't be the same. Some proteins will have inevitably coagulated and fallen out of suspension, and the texture will be a little greasier and oilier than a fresh stick. That's OK though, because melted butter can always be re-melted and used again.

If you are an overly enthusiastic butter-melter like myself, you might need a mitigation strategy--one that doesn't result in wasting precious butter. Instead of tossing the bonus butter, I transfer it to a jar (with a lid), and keep the jar by the stove. Every little bit of extraneous melted butter goes into that jar, as do any unaesthetic globs leftover from greasing pans of skillets. (Again, I almost always over estimate the amount I'll need to grease a skillet.) Then, the next time I need melted butter, I get my jar.

You can use a fancy hinged jar with a metal clasp like the one you see above, but I prefer a Bonne Mamam jar because I can remove the lid and pop the whole thing in the microwave to re-melt the butter. You can also use a microwave-safe bowl (and cover with plastic to keep dust out), any piece of microwave-safe Tupperware, or similar plastic or glass food storage container. To re-melt, remove any lid and nuke for five seconds at a time, stirring after each blast until the butter is melted. Brush, drizzle, and dunk to your heart's content, then place the jar back in its spot by the stove. Repeat as needed.