Everyone knows you need to keep dairy products like milk and cheese stored in the refrigerator, or they’ll spoil. Butter, on the other hand, is a little different. Some people keep it in the fridge, but others store it on the counter so it’s always ready to spread across toast or a crusty piece of bread. So it’s time to settle the debate once and for all: Does butter need to be refrigerated? If not, how long can you leave butter out? Read on for what the safety experts have to say on the issue, plus how to store butter.
The short answer is yes, you can. The agency State Food Safety says that you can store butter on the counter for a few days without it going bad (rejoice, room temperature butter fans!). A study from the FDA even notes that, unlike other dairy products, both butter and margarine have a long history of remaining safe to eat even when they’re stored out of the refrigerator.
“When butter and margarine are made, the pasteurization process reduces any pathogens initially found in the cream, then the churning process changes their physical properties to become more solid,” says Janilyn Hutchings, a food scientist and certified professional in food safety who works for StateFoodSafety. “Salted butter and margarine are even better protected from bacterial growth because salt increases their stability even more.”
So while you can safely store a stick of butter or margarine outside the fridge, there are still a few caveats. The USDA recommends using butter or margarine that’s stored at room temperature within a few days because it will still spoil eventually. On the other hand, butter will last for a couple of months in the fridge, so you might want to store your extra sticks in the refrigerator and leave just a small amount on your counter (you can still soften refrigerated butter quickly if you need to).
“The exact amount of time butter and margarine can be left out without becoming rancid has been debated,” Hutchings says. “For best quality, keep butter and margarine in a covered dish and use them within a few days.”
But this doesn’t mean that you can leave any type of butter or margarine on your counter safely. Any butter that hasn’t been pasteurized, like homemade, has to be refrigerated, along with butter spreads that you can usually buy in small tubs. So if you want to leave some of your butter out on the counter, only do it with the stick form, and only when it’s been pasteurized.
A butter dish is also your best bet for keeping the butter on your counter fresh longer. You don’t necessarily need anything fancy, though a butter dish that seals will probably keep your butter fresher longer than a dish with a non-sealing cover. Some counter-butter-keepers swear by French butter dishes, small crocks that use water to seal the dish’s lid. Whatever container you use, just make sure you’re carefully washing it out after each use before you load it up with your next round of butter.
So, wonder no more: You can store sticks of pasteurized butter and margarine at room temperature for a few days at a time without worrying about them going bad. For the best results, keep salted butter on your counter, and use a butter dish to help keep it fresh. Trust us, your morning toast will thank you if you do.
If the temps in your kitchen go much above 70°F, it's best to leave butter in the fridge. When left at room temperature, salted butter fares better than unsalted, as the salt content also makes it less prone to bacterial growth.
According to the USDA, butter is safe at room temperature. But if it's left out for several days at room temperature, it can turn rancid causing off flavors. 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.
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.
Does Butter Go Bad? Unfortunately, butter does eventually go bad. I spoke to a representative at Kate's Butter (my favorite brand of butter) who told me that butter's best-by date is one you should really pay attention to. Your butter will indeed begin to decrease in quality after the best-by date.
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.
Refrigerated butter should last up to a month past the printed date if it's unopened. If the butter has been opened, it can last up to two weeks past that printed date. If you're storing the butter longer term, unopened butter stored in the freezer can last anywhere from nine months to a year past the date.
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.
The relative importance of each source and the difference between cause and effect must be appreciated. As an example, the refrigerator has been accused, rather generally, of play- ing the principal role in the contamination of butter with mold.
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.
Mustard. No matter the kind of mustard (Dijon, yellow, or whole grain), best practice is to store it in fridge. Refrigerated mustard will last up to a year after opening in the fridge, according to the USDA. Now dried mustard powder is another story—it can be stored in the pantry with all your other spices.
"They can last six to eight weeks stored in a refrigerator," says Wortz. Scheck notes that if your room temperature is on the warm side, the refrigerator is ideal for storing apples for any amount of time. The countertop is an option for shorter storage; apples can last one to two weeks there.
Whether it's OK to leave butter out at room temperature or not is a hotly debated issue, but the truth is it's perfectly fine to keep butter out at room temperature for up to two weeks. The concern for room-temperature butter is that it will go rancid.
It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for refrigerated butter to soften to room temperature. Speed things up by cutting the butter into 1-inch cubes: Take a stick of butter and halve it lengthwise. Flip the butter on its side and halve it lengthwise again.
Keep your craft butter in a cool, dry place: To keep your butter from spoiling, it's important to store it in a cool, dry place. Look for a spot in your kitchen away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and humidity. If you're looking for an even more precise temperature, aim for somewhere between 55–60°F.
A butter crock is basically the best thing to ever happen to butter. Also known as a butter bell or butter keeper, the butter crock is a two-piece contraption that keeps butter fresh on the counter for up to 30 days. The butter goes in the “bell,” which you place in the water-filled crock.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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:strip_icc()/BHG-do-you-need-to-refrigerate-butter-hero-01_9748-41336a4f85464246b4582e4e1264de30.jpg "This Is What You Really Need to Know About Refrigerating Butter (1)")
