Can You Keep Butter Outside of the Fridge? (2024)

Butter is a staple in most kitchens, and typically, you can find it in the refrigerator. However, some butters, like the compound butters from Better Butter, are completely safe to store outside of the fridge. This not only frees up space for other items in your refrigerator, but also means that you’ll have access to softened, smooth, spreadable butter whenever you’d like.

In today’s blog post from Better Butter, we will discuss the benefits of storing your butter outside of the fridge as well as some storage tips. Read on to learn more.

Can You Keep Butter Outside of the Fridge? (1)

Why Store Your Butter at Room Temperature?

Storing your craft butter outside of the refrigerator can be a great way to enjoy its delicious flavor and texture at their best. Butter stored in the fridge is hard, making it difficult to spread and incorporate into recipes. You can avoid this problem by keeping your butter outside of the fridge in a cool, dark place, like a countertop or pantry.

The process of storing butter outside of the refrigerator is called “room-temperature buttering”. This method of storage prevents butter from becoming too hard, while still preserving its flavor and texture. Room-temperature buttering is especially beneficial for craft butters, such as European-style cultured butter, which have a unique flavor profile that is best appreciated at room temperature. Keeping butter at room temperature can also help to preserve its natural moisture, making it easier to spread and use.

Can You Keep Butter Outside of the Fridge? (2)

The Benefits of Storing Butter Outside of the Fridge

If you’ve been storing your butter in the refrigerator until this point, you may be asking yourself why you would want to store it outside the fridge. Storing your craft butter at room temperature comes with a number of benefits, including:

  • When stored at room temperature, butter remains soft, creamy, and spreadable.
  • It’s easier to use in baking and cooking.
  • It’s at the perfect temperature for spreading on bread and crackers, or for making an impromptu butter board.
  • You may notice the butter itself develops a richer, more complex flavor and that you can taste the ingredients of our compound butter better.
  • You’ll have room for other items in your refrigerator that need to be kept at cooler temperatures.
  • It’s easily accessible when you want to add a dollop to your recipes.

Keeping your Better Butter craft butter at room temperature is not only more convenient but it also ensures that you’ll taste every ingredient. Since we make our compound butter from real grade AA butter and other natural, delicious ingredients, you’ll want to make sure you can taste every bite.

Can You Keep Butter Outside of the Fridge? (3)

Tips for Storing Butter Outside of the Fridge

While there are a lot of benefits to storing your butter outside of the refrigerator, it’s important that you do so correctly so that you can enjoy your butter the way it was intended — rich, smooth, creamy, and spreadable. If you plan on storing your craft butter outside of the fridge, make sure you follow these tips for best results:

  • 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.
  • Store your craft butter in an airtight container: To ensure your butter stays fresh, store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. This will help keep it away from any moisture or odors in the kitchen. Make sure to label the container with the date it was opened so you know when it’s best to use it. When you’re storing Better Butter craft butter, you can simply use the tub that it comes in to store it at room temperature.

Can You Keep Butter Outside of the Fridge? (4)

Storing Better Butter Craft Butter

Better Butter craft butter is specifically designed to be safe to store at room temperature outside of the refrigerator for up to six weeks after opening. This is because Better Butter doesn’t contain enough water to allow bacteria or mold to grow. Each batch is thoroughly tested to ensure low water activity, providing you with peace of mind and the ability to keep it on your counter for more than a month.

Make the Most of Every Moment With Better Butter

At Better Butter, our goal is to make mealtimes more enjoyable and even the smallest moments more memorable. Our craft butters are made with grade AA butter that is made at a family-owned dairy farm in Southern Idaho. We then take this creamy, delicious butter and mix it with natural ingredients like cinnamon, honey, black truffles, and fresh herbs, to create unforgettable compound butters. We offer a selection of savory butters that are perfect for elevating chicken, steak, pork, mashed potatoes, veggies, and more. We also craft a selection of sweet compound butters that are ideal for adding to pastries, spreading on bread, or melting over pancakes, fruits, and even vegetables. Our craft butters help to make mealtime easier to put together while providing opportunities to make memories with family and friends. At the end of the day, we make craft butter to help make everyday moments more magical.

Better Butter is widely available in the refrigerator section of Walmarts across the country. You can also find many of our craft butters in other grocery stores and retailers. To find our craft butter near you, use our online tool to discover which stores near you carry Better Butter.

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Can You Keep Butter Outside of the Fridge? (2024)

FAQs

Can You Keep Butter Outside of the Fridge? ›

Should You Leave Butter on the Counter? 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.

How long can butter be left out of the fridge? ›

How Long Can You Leave Butter on the Counter? 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.

How do you keep butter safe without a refrigerator? ›

Tips for Storing Butter on the Counter

Here are a few tips you can follow to make sure your butter stays fresh when stored at room temperature: Only keep a small amount out on the counter. Store the rest in the fridge or freezer for future use. Protect it from light by using an opaque container or a closed cabinet.

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.

How long does butter last at room temperature in the fridge? ›

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.

What does rancid butter taste like? ›

Rancid butter has an unmistakable off flavor that you may have encountered tasting old oil, old nuts or seeds, or any other food with a high-fat content that is long past its prime.

Does peanut butter need to be refrigerated? ›

To ensure that your peanut butter lasts longer, it's important to store it properly. Although it doesn't need to be refrigerated, cold temperatures ensure it lasts longer. If you prefer not to refrigerate your peanut butter, aim to keep it in a cool, dark place, such as the pantry.

What kind of butter does not need to be refrigerated? ›

It's worth noting that clarified butter or ghee—which has been cooked and filtered to remove its protein and water content—can last even longer than conventional butter: up to six months at room temperature and a year (or possibly even more) in the fridge.

How can you tell if butter is bad? ›

Any visible discoloration, change in texture, bad smell, or bitter or sour taste indicates bad butter.

How was butter kept before refrigeration? ›

Before refrigerators, the springhouse was a fixture around most homes, providing a place to keep milk, butter, and other perishables from spoiling. Running springwater kept temperatures cool enough to preserve foods even on hot summer days. The “house” was a wooden structure with a roof built directly over the spring.

Can butter go from cold to warm? ›

Generally, a refrigerated stick of butter can take anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour to soften; meanwhile, frozen butter can take upwards of four hours to reach a usable consistency.

How long can you leave eggs out? ›

According to the American Egg Board, you can leave eggs on the counter about 2 hours at room temperature (or 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter). After 2 hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it.

What is the best way to store butter? ›

The Best Way to Store Butter

Although many like to leave their butter out on the counter, Land O' Lakes says it's best to keep it in the fridge if you don't plan to use it within a few hours.

How long can butter stay out without being refrigerated? ›

Should You Leave Butter on the Counter? 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.

How quickly does butter go bad? ›

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.)

Is softened butter the same as room temperature? ›

For the purposes of baking, recipe writing, recipe reading, and recipe executing, you can consider room temperature butter and softened butter the same thing. If a recipe author wants you to use butter in a form other than “room temp” or “softened,” they will disclose that (as either cold, melted, frozen, etc).

How long does butter take to soften? ›

How long does it take to soften butter? Setting out chilled butter at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before using gives it time to soften. The same approach works for frozen butter, though it can take a couple of hours.

How long can eggs sit out? ›

According to the American Egg Board, you can leave eggs on the counter about 2 hours at room temperature (or 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter). After 2 hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it.

Does Texas Roadhouse butter need to be refrigerated? ›

Storing Texas Roadhouse Butter

To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also store leftovers at room temperature (providing the ambient room temperature is not too warm) for up to 2 days. To Freeze: You can freeze the butter for up to 2 months.

How long can milk sit out? ›

You can leave milk out of the fridge at room temperature for up to two hours, according to the USDA. “Leaving milk out too long can potentially lead to foodborne illness,” Amidor explains. “Pathogenic microorganisms like to grow in temperatures between 40 to 140 degrees.

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