Does Butter Need To Be Refrigerated? The Answer Is More Complicated Than You Think
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."
There are few things worse than trying to spread hard, cold butter on a piece of toast. Achieving fluffy cake batter relies primarily on your butter being soft. And mixing herbs and spices into a stick of chilled butter? A near impossible feat. Sometimes it feels like life would be so much easier if we could always store our butter on the kitchen counter. But is it actually safe to store butter at room temperature?
The short answer is yes, to a degree. Butter can last at room temperature longer than other dairy products can. The reason for that comes down to the structure.
Why Butter Can Stay At Room Temperature (Mostly)
Butter is the result of churning, the process of separating milk or cream into its solid and liquid components. The solid part is the fat found naturally in the milk, while the remaining liquid it leaves behind is the buttermilk. That buttermilk, when fermented, becomes the product you use to make fried chicken or ranch dressing.
Without that liquid, the solid fat is significantly more shelf stable than when the milk was in its original state. The high fat content prevents bacteria growth more than other types of dairy. In the United States, the butter you can buy at the grocery store needs to have at least 80 percent fat.
While butter is less likely to support bacterial growth and become unsafe to eat, that doesn’t mean it can’t go bad. Instead of spoiling, the butter can become rancid after being left out at room temperature for more than a day or so. The continuous presence of oxygen will denature the fat molecules in the butter and change the chemical structure. It won’t hurt you like eating salmonella-contaminated eggs would, but it will taste bitter and a little sour.
How Do I Store Butter At Room Temperature?
Thankfully, there are kitchen tools you can use to keep your butter soft without inviting any extra oxygen. Butter dishes with lids will keep out the air and allow your butter to stay fresh for a few days.
Another tool that has been used for centuries is a butter crock. This ceramic gadget allows you to fill the bell-shaped top with butter and place it in a ceramic cup filled with a little bit of water. The water seals the container and keeps out oxygen and any pesky bacteria. If you replace the water once or twice a week, your butter will stay fresh and spreadable for up to month.
How Long Can Butter Last In The Fridge?
If you want to keep your butter for longer or don’t want to shell out money for another gadget, the fridge is your best bet. Unopened sticks of butter will last in the fridge for 3-4 months, and opened butter will last up to two weeks past the date printed on the package.
You Might Also Like
