h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Bog Butter - A87795076
Author: KB - U891566

A little something to chew on.

I don't have any constructive criticism to offer here, just wanted to say I enjoyed it. It read well to me, and was fascinating. I'd never heard of bog butter before so I've learnt my something new for the day.

Deb

Good entry I have nothing in the way of constructive criticism to add either

Well done

how odd Nothing constructive to add either, but to say I liked it, and certianly hadn't heard of it before I'll be sure to look out for it in Waitrose next time I go As an aside note though, 'organic' 'overpriced' butter, does have more of a cheese type flavour to it... which is kinda weird.... perhaps butter back then, wasn't necessarily just* 'butter' as per we understand it today, but more a food sort in its own right, like cheese, rather than just something to spread on the bread, before the actual* topping goes on

This is an interesting, well-written article.

I had heard of the practice of burying butter, because Seamus Heaney mentions it in his poem 'Bogland' http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/heaney/bogland.php

I'm not sure how accurate radio-carbon dating is, but I doubt it could date the butter precisely - so maybe the nature of the container it's buried in would be more important.

My understanding is that it can be used for the butter too, but that this is a very recent development. Queen's University in Belfast has, I'm told, the most accurate kit in the world for the procedure. Samples of the butter have been tested, and seem to tally with dates from the wood and the dates suggested by the kind of tools and techniques used. So it looks like it all fits well together.

Thanks for reading, everyone.

Fun entry.

Hi KB

Delighted to see you here once more

Everyone has given this Entry their appreciation and I fully agree with their views.
This is definitely a weird and wonderful type of Entry, which you've written so that the reader is drawn into the array of fascinating facts, keeping their attention all the way through. Beautifully done.


I do have one tiny nitpick, and that is to do with the choice of the word 'Refrigeration' as your first possible reason for the burial. I'd have put 'Preservation' perhaps. There are not many synonyms for food preservation/conservation so I'm wondering if 'Chilling' might be of some help in this paragraph? I agree with your rationale: 'Refrigeration' to chill or freeze [food] for preservation purposes. Feel free to ignore me, I am maybe being pedantic.

Anyway, very glad to have this Entry from you KB, my next question would be "Can you draw us an illustration, please?"

I'll take a look at that bit.

I was wondering about illustrations and copyright. There are a number of things in very old journals that we could used, but I'm not sure about the legalities. The authors would be out of copyright in the normal course of things, but if it's an old journal of, to pick one at random, the Royal Irish Academy, the presumably the organisation as a legal entity is still the copyright holder.

I could always use it as an excuse to hit the National Museum for a photo, I suppose. I haven't been for years.

A very good Entry! Like others I've also never heard of bog butter before.

Usually when we ask people for permission to use a picture we get a very positive reply. Most people are happy that someone is interested in their pictures. So if you could ask the museum for a picture that would be great!
(be sure to let us know about credits and if they require a specific copyright notice)

Curiousity drove me to read what else is available on the net about bog butter.

One thing which this reminded me of was that salt was an expensive commodity. A49292724 Without salt in butter, it would go rancid very quickly in the warmer months, when milk would be produced in greater quantity.


(we use unsalted butter, and I can vouch for how quickly it 'turns')

Hmmm... we don't have many bogs here, but we also don't have salted butter.

Fear not! You can bury your butter in glaciers in the Alps!

No comments, except to ask if you have considered a link to A617393 Butter and Margarine? and

<BB<

I hope to get doing links in the next day or so. I enjoy taking my time over that bit and seeing what I find!

I want to possibly add something about William Wilde (Oscar's dad), who did a lot to draw attention to this as a field of research. But that will need to wait until I hit the library next week and read a copy of his paper if I can get a hold of it.

I reckon they were trying to grow a butter tree.

Other than the preservation over refrigeration mentioned previously I've no criticism.

The sort of title that you HAVE to read.

Agreed that this is the sort of title you *have* to read. I was left with a couple of questions, where abouts has Bog Butter been found, and when was it first discovered?

Did people originally think that it was 'fairy butter' or something?

I'm left with a lot of questions, too. I don't know the answers, which is annoying. What I've tried to do in the entry is look at a few of the questions and invite the reader to think about whether certain answers are plausible.

Raising questions and uncertainties is a good thing, in my opinion. We'll never really know all the answers will we? Life would be terribly boring if it did.


I did find a photo of some school kids eating this stuff, I must admit my stomach lurched. How times have changed now as to what a teacher could be allowed to do with a class.

Sorry guys, I haven't got around to doing anything with this all week. Over the weekend I'll be doing links and tidying, and I'll have a re-read of all the comments to see if I've addressed everything. I did get a read of William Wilde's paper, but I don't think there's anything much I want to say about it.