The One Way To Tell Your Butter Has Gone Bad (2024)

FAQs

The One Way To Tell Your Butter Has Gone Bad? ›

Rancid butter will start to smell like sweaty feet, rotten cheese, or even vomit. If all else seems fine, the final test is to taste a small portion. Butter that has gone bad will have a sour-bitter taste. If the butter passes all these tests, you can feel confident that it's still safe to consume.

Spoiled butter will have a sour, bitter taste, and may also change in color and give off a subtle, unpleasant odor. It may also taste like the other foods in your refrigerator, as it quickly absorbs the flavors of any strong-smelling ingredients in its vicinity.

Oxidization is a chemical reaction that occurs in lipids when exposed to conditions such as sunlight and causes a rancid smell and taste. Because butter is at least 80% milk fat, it's very susceptible to oxidization.

Although butter is made from milk, it has the potential to last much longer. This is because it has a much lower water content, which makes it harder for bacteria to grow. Salted butter has an even lower risk of bacterial growth because salt lowers the water content even further.

"Butter is safe to eat after being out at room temperature," says Bri Bell, a registered dietitian, and food safety expert. "One reason it doesn't go bad as quickly as other dairy products at room temperature is because it's low in carbohydrates and proteins, which are mold and bacteria's preferred food sources."

Spoiled butter can contain harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria, which can cause illness if consumed, although there are some sources that dispute this and say that the worst thing that can happen is that you get a really bad stomach ache from eating bad butter.

When butter becomes rancid the breakdown of enzyme lipase occurs. Enzyme lipase breaks down to fatty acids and glycerol thus making butter rancid. In rancid butter there is no physical change but there is a chemical change because oxidation reaction occurs. The oxidation of oils and fats produces a gas.

Why care about when to stop churning? If churning ceases too soon, much fat is lost to the buttermilk. If over-churned, the butter will contain too much buttermilk and be very difficult to wash clean.

The USDA's FoodKeeper app offers this guidance for storing butter: "May be left at room temperature for one to two days; one to two months when stored in refrigerator; six to nine months if stored frozen." After that, the taste can turn rancid or sour, says the USDA.

Frozen butter lasts six to 12 months when properly stored in the freezer in an airtight container. Salted butter may last longer than unsalted butter since salt helps with preservation. After the one-year mark, the butter's quality and flavor begin to deteriorate.

Can you put butter back in the fridge after leaving it out? ›

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.

For long term storage it is still safest to store butter wrapped or covered in the refrigerator. Butter also freezes well but to protect it further you should cover it with an additional foil or a freezer bag.

Many of the oxidation pathways are not entirely understood. Salted butter was developed to prevent spoilage, and to mask the taste of rancid butter. A sour-bitter taste is identifiable with rancidity (i.e. soapy, baby-vomit, blue cheese). Rancid butter becomes yellow to brown and the flavor becomes harsh.

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.

In the freezer, well-wrapped butter can last up to a year, after which its flavor and quality will be compromised. It may also develop freezer burn. In the refrigerator, well-wrapped salted butter can last up to five months without spoiling.

Eggs can sit out on your counter for up to two hours and only one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees. After that, they must be stored in the fridge. Most refrigerators come with a special bin or shelf on the door to hold the eggs.

In the refrigerator, well-wrapped salted butter can last up to five months without spoiling. Salt is a preservative that prevents microbial growth and extends shelf life. Unsalted butter can last up to three months in the fridge. (If the butter is unwrapped, shorten those projections to about two months in the fridge.)

It should be pointed out that rancid butter can't make you sick, but it won't taste or smell very good. Rancidity is caused by exposure to oxygen, light and heat. So, to prevent rancidity, keep your butter in an opaque butter dish with a lid.

The first thing to do is, not panic as old butter cannot kill you or give you food poisoning. The worst that can happen is a stomach ache. Also, rancid butter can lower your vitamin E and vitamin B stores.

I know I've asked these questions in my head before. Have you? Please don't worry. Raw butter with a cheesy smell is normal.