Honey-Butter Food Product and Process (Edward F. Burton & Jay H. Montgomery, No. 1,694,577)
The patent by Edward F. Burton and Jay H. Montgomery of Los Angeles, California, describes a novel Food Product and Process of Producing the Same (Patent No. 1,694,577, 1928). This invention is the original technical formulation for a stable, homogeneous emulsion of honey and butter. Burton and Montgomery’s primary objective was to overcome the physical limitations of natural honey—which is sticky, difficult to handle, and does not naturally unite with butter—by creating a “solid form” compound. Their innovation relies on a low-temperature emulsification process using a water-miscible colloidal agent to achieve the consistency and texture of commercial butter.
Inventor Background: Jay H. Montgomery
Jay H. Montgomery was an African American inventor and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles during the 1920s. Along with his partner Edward F. Burton, he co-founded the Honey-Butter Company, a corporation dedicated to the commercialization of this specific culinary invention. While the product is a staple in modern pantries, Montgomery’s 1928 patent represents a significant achievement in food science and chemical engineering. At a time when industrial food processing was rapidly evolving, Montgomery successfully applied the principles of colloidal chemistry to create a shelf-stable, “user-friendly” version of two of humanity’s oldest natural foods.
Key Chemical & Industrial Processes
The production of Honey-Butter is a delicate operation that requires precise temperature control and specific molecular binding agents.
1. The Emulsifying Ingredients
The product is composed of three primary components:
- Honey: Natural bees’ honey in syrup form (or fruit syrups like raisin syrup).
- Butter: Sweet butter (or substitutes like oleomargarine).
- Colloidal Agent: An emulsifying agent, most preferably egg albumen (egg white), though pectin, gelatin, or gum arabic may also be used.
- Function: In their natural state, the fats in butter and the sugars in honey repel each other. The colloidal agent acts as a molecular “bridge,” allowing the water-based honey and the fat-based butter to unite into a single, smooth substance.
2. The Cold-Process Requirement (Key Innovation)
- Temperature Constraint: The most critical step in Montgomery’s process is maintaining a temperature below 70°F (ideally near 60°F).
- Solid State Preservation: The butter must remain in a solid state throughout the mixing.
- Action: If the butter melts, the emulsion fails and the ingredients separate. By keeping the mixture cold, the “texture and hardness of butter” is preserved in the final product.
3. Mechanical Agitation
- Rotary Mixing: The ingredients are placed in a rotary machine spinning at approximately 200 revolutions per minute.
- Duration: The mixture is agitated for about one hour.
- Function: This intense, sustained mechanical action ensures that the honey and butter are microscopicially dispersed and locked together by the egg albumen, resulting in a “homogeneous mass.”
Improvements Over Natural Honey and Butter
| Feature | Natural Honey & Butter Mixture | Montgomery’s Honey-Butter |
| Texture | Sticky, runny, and prone to separation. | Firm and uniform; same consistency as butter. |
| Handling | Inconvenient to pack or spread evenly. | Can be packed, sliced, and handled like a butter stick. |
| Stability | Honey tends to sink; butter remains on top. | Stable emulsion; remains mixed at room temperature. |
| Flavor | Distinctly separate tastes. | Blended flavor profile that retains natural notes. |
Significance to Food Science and Industry
Jay H. Montgomery’s Honey-Butter influenced the development of spreadable dairy products and industrial food stabilizers.
- Pioneer of Compound Butters: Montgomery’s work provided a scientific template for the mass production of flavored and compound butters, which are now standard in both retail and professional culinary industries.
- Colloidal Engineering in Food: By utilizing egg albumen as a stabilizer for high-sugar syrups and animal fats, he practiced an early form of modern food rheology (the study of the flow of matter).
- Entrepreneurial Success: The Honey-Butter Company of Los Angeles was a significant Black-owned industrial venture, proving that technical innovation in food science could lead to a scalable, national product.
- Shelf-Life Optimization: The creation of a homogeneous solid allowed for better storage and transport than raw honey, anticipating the modern demand for convenience-oriented grocery items.
