When Sweet Butter Is Specified

Question: Would you explain why sweet rather than regular butter is specified in some recipes? I know that sweet butter isn’t salted, but sometimes recipes that specify sweet butter also call for salt. It’s unclear to me why sweet butter is called for in the first place.

Answer: Sweet butter, also called unsalted, “is more delicate in flavor and is preferred by many discriminating cooks,” according to Sylvia Rosenthal and Fran Shinagel, authors of “How Cooking Works” (Macmillan Publishing: 1981). They add that “Since salt can mask an off-flavor, some cooks feel that they are more assured of freshness when they buy unsalted butter.” Salt is then added when needed in recipes.

Q: My husband enjoys crisp hot okra pickles. I would like to can them myself now that fresh okra is coming into season. Do you have a recipe?

A: The following recipe comes from the “Ball Blue Book--The Guide to Home Canning and Freezing” (Edition 32, Ball Corp.: 1989).

OKRA PICKLES

3 1/2 pounds small okra pods

4 cloves garlic

2 small hot peppers, cut in half

1 quart water

2 cups vinegar

1/3 cup canning salt

2 teaspoons dill seeds

Pack okra firmly into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Place garlic clove and 1/2 pepper in each jar.

Combine water, vinegar, salt and dill seeds in saucepan. Bring to boil. Pour hot liquid over okra, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Remove air bubbles.

Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Makes about 4 pints.

Q: This may be a minor question but no one seems to give me the right answer. When you bake or buy a lemon meringue pie, the topping looks beautiful until you cut it. Then it becomes a mess. Do you know of any easy way to cut a slice or more and still have an appealing serving?

A: To ensure a clean cut, use a sharp knife and dip it into hot water after each cut. The water will keep the meringue from sticking to the blade.

In response to the March 22 “You Asked About . . .” column on making cornichons, J. Andrews of Palos Verdes writes: “your readers may be interested to know that there is a much easier way, not devised or invented by me but culled from some much earlier article or story.”

Purchase a jar of baby midget or baby gherkin pickles, many of which are smaller than a small finger. Drain off the liquid they are packed in, replace it with white Sauterne vinegar with tarragon and refrigerate one to two days.

“You’ll have cornichons equal to the very finest and with no effort at all,” Andrews adds.

Address questions on food preparation to You Asked About ..., Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Personal replies cannot be given.