http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/004051.html
StoryTyler
Member posted 12-08-1999 11:41 AM
quote:
…my ancient Chinese grandma…once told us that you cannot put salted butter on silver, lest it become carcinogenic. Apparently, my parents value our silver butter plate more than my love of salted butter…
Rejoice! For I have come to release you from your self-imposed bonds of silver-plated-(salted)-butterlessness!
First off, may I say that butter without salt in it is almost useless. Bleh.
Now on to the issue at hand: Using a silver dish for your (salted) butter is a bad idea pretty much any time - but NOT for the reasons stated.
See, salt digs pits in silver, eats it away somehow, so salted butter will eventually damage the silver, but I’m fairly certain it won’t make your butter carcenogenic. At least I’ve never heard the medical world back this idea. (Of course, the butter probably won’t taste quite right with corroded silver bits floating around in it, but hey…) Methinks gramma was just trying to protect her purty butter dish.
Besides, just about everything can lead to cancer, so put the dang butter on silver if it pleases you. Just don’t expect the silver to like it.
Yer pal,
Satan