- checking login information
Loading...Butter: In the Fridge or Safe to Leave Out?
- Eric Steinman
- June 4, 2010
- 11:21 am
- 154 comments
A few years ago, while visiting friends in Vermont, I was the source of helpful annoyance. It seems my host was left constantly searching for the butter dish, as she was prone to leaving it out on the counter and I was prone to putting it on the butter shelf in the fridge. While this didn’t cause anything more than some unnecessary confusion (no blood was spilled over chilled butter) it did set off a friendly debate over whether a stick of butter (securely covered in a butter dish) should find its home on the easily accessible counter, or in the chilly fridge with all of the other dairy and perishables.
What the issue boils down to for many is, not preference, as much as safety. Sure, nice room temperature butter is far easier to spread on warm toast than a frigid gold brick of butter might be, but if that warm golden sheen of fat sabotages your guts – well then you may want to rethink what goes where. However there remains a bit of controversy over what is the best and safest way of storing butter.
The USDA guidelines state that butter should be stored in its original protective wrapping or a “container until ready for use,” and to remove from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before use. The USDA even goes one step further and suggest freezing butter not intended for use within two or three days. So if you choose to follow the USDA guidelines, you are looking at a life of cold, unspreadable butter. However, butter is made with pasteurized milk, which limit the chances of serious bacterial growth or spoilage (as long as it is sufficiently covered, like in a clean glass butter dish). In addition, there is fairly low water content in butter, and often there is added salt as well, which also inhibits bacteria.
Nevertheless, if you don’t want to take chances with dairy, you might just want to simplify matters and store butter covered in the refrigerator between meals. It will significantly increase the shelf-live and virtually assure safety. But the odds are, either way, you will be fine – it is the saturated fat and dietary cholesterol you really need to be concerned about.
Read more: Following Food, Food, butter, food safety, usda
Eric Steinman
Eric Steinman is a freelance writer based in Rhinebeck, NY. He regularly writes about food, music, art, architecture, and culture and is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit among other publications.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
good to pamper and learn how to take care of senior pet needs.
Thank You Thank You!! ANYTHING one person does to help the Bees in their area adds up and there is N…
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this. It makes sense. When people walk into pet stores to buy a pet, they often d…
Thank you fou for the information.
154 comments
+ add your ownAlways leave around half a cup out mixed with parsley, chives and dill-have not died from my left out unsalted butter yet.
Io lo tengo in frigorifero.
yes.
Butter doesn't seem to get rancid anymore. Is that due to all the antibiotics used in animal agriculture?
Um, how long are we talking about? Overnight, the butter would spoil, yes, You can smell spoiled butter (I made a piecrust once but didn't use it, yet it spoiled even though it was in the fridge), and from morning to night, sure it would spoil. But are you talking like an hour? From starting to make a meal till the end of the meal, or while she was baking or cooking? "Leaving it out" doesn't mean anything without some sort of range of time. If it was from morning till night, sure, it would spoil. If it was for an hour, you sound more than a bit paranoid.
Um, how long are we talking about? Overnight, the butter would spoil, yes, You can smell spoiled butter (I made a piecrust once but didn't use it, yet it spoiled even though it was in the fridge), and from morning to night, sure it would spoil. But are you talking like an hour? From starting to make a meal till the end of the meal, or while she was baking or cooking? "Leaving it out" doesn't mean anything without some sort of range of time. If it was from morning till night, sure, it would spoil. If it was for an hour, you sound more than a bit paranoid.
i keep mine in the freezer and take out what we need. usually a stick a day if I am not baking something...we leave the stick of butter out all day, in a butter dish..it rarely lasts very long. butter is better for you than margarine. it also tastes better.
thanks
the poll question 'Do you keep your butter in or out of the fridge?' is very SILLY. I naswered 'YES' for leaving the butter (just small amouts) OUT, BUT someone else could answer YES for IN.
Guess what the question should only be ONE thing. So lets start again.
Stupid poll question-what could you possibly glean from those answers? Butter will get rancid if left out too long. A holistic doctor told me once to make ghee out of butter which could be left out. It does takes time, but tastes good.
login to add your comment
use your care2 login
add your comment