How To Store Butter | Go Bold With Butter (2024)

FAQs

How To Store Butter | Go Bold With Butter? ›

In fact, it's best when it's chilled in the original package. Don't store it in the door of the refrigerator, but rather in the coldest area… near the back!

In fact, it's best when it's chilled in the original package. Don't store it in the door of the refrigerator, but rather in the coldest area… near the back!

The USDA does not recommend leaving it out more than one to two days. As such, Chad Galer, VP of Product Science and Food Safety at Dairy Management Inc. says, “It is best to only store the amount of butter that will be used in 1 to 2 days to enjoy at its optimum flavor.”

Tips for Leaving Butter at Room Temperature

Factors leading to spoiled butter are exposure to air and light, so keep it in a covered butter dish or butter crock that will protect it from both air and light, and help to keep it at a steady temperature to stay cool enough to hold its shape.

Unlike salted butter, unsalted butter is more susceptible to spoilage due to its lack of salt as a natural preservative so it is best to store it in the refrigerator. Whipped butter, margarine, compound butter, and vegan butter are more prone to spoilage and should always be refrigerated.

(It's also not a great place to store eggs, milk, or other dairy for the same reason.) "Store butter in its original packaging in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the refrigerator door, for no longer than one week beyond the date printed on the package.

Overall, it's best to refrigerate butter, but if stored correctly and consumed within a few days, it is okay to keep salted butter on the benchtop. We actually discovered this butter dish which uses water to keep butter fresh on the benchtop! So you can safely enjoy smooth, spreadable room temperature butter.

Salted butter is less prone to going bad on the counter than unsalted butter. If you're a serious supporter of leaving butter out, go with the salted kind. It's important to note, however, that the amount of salt in different brands of butter can vary.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends leaving butter at room temperature no more than two days. After that period of time, the butter can turn rancid. This will cause off flavors and unpleasant texture. However, if you follow the butter storage tips above, butter can stay fresh up to two weeks on the counter.

How do you tell if butter is bad? Check for changes in the butter's look, feel, smell, and taste. Any visible discoloration, change in texture, bad smell, or bitter or sour taste indicates bad butter.

Is it better to keep butter in the fridge or room temperature? ›

Butter and margarine are safe at room temperature. However, if butter is left out at room temperature for several days, the flavor can turn rancid so it's best to leave out whatever you can use within a day or two.

Properly stored butter can be frozen for up to four months if frozen prior to the USE BY date on the package. Butter may begin to lose its fresh butter taste and pick up flavors and odors from the freezer if stored for longer than four months. Once the butter is removed from the freezer, use it within 30 days.

Can you put softened butter back in the fridge? You sure can! But as with any dairy product, there are always precautions to take. The USDA recommends keeping butter at room temperature for no more than two days to prevent spoilage.

Unless you're a busy diner going through and refilling ketchup bottles every day or two, you should store your ketchup in the fridge. This is because, just like pickles, the flavor and texture declines after you open the bottle or jar and the ketchup is exposed to air.

Freshly laid eggs need to be refrigerated immediately. Fresh eggs purchased from a farmers market need to be refrigerated as soon as you get home. Per USDA guidelines, eggs should be stored at 40 degrees F or below to help minimize the risk of Salmonella.

According to The National Peanut Board, an unopened jar of peanut butter can last six to nine months at room temperature. Once opened, they say that it can last two to three months in the pantry before you should move it to the fridge, where it can maintain quality for another three to four months.

For more information about butter, you may call the FDA toll-free at 888-723-3366 or go to FDA's website. Butter and margarine are safe at room temperature. However, if butter is left out at room temperature for several days, the flavor can turn rancid so it's best to leave out whatever you can use within a day or two.

Yes, you can keep butter on the counter, according to the Department of Agriculture. Butter and margarine can both be stored at room temperature, but be mindful of a few things. The USDA recommends only leaving out an amount of butter that can be used within two days.

The answer is yes! Freezing butter is a great way to make it last even longer. Butter has a pretty long shelf life in the fridge already (about 4 months for unsalted and 6 months for salted) but you can extend that time even further by freezing your sticks of butter when you get home from the grocery store!