If butter is your bliss, learning how to properly store it for taste, freshness, and safety is important. You want the golden bars to be fresh yet soft to spread on your toast. Is the refrigerator always the best place to store butter, or can butter be left out? To learn the right way to store butter you’ll need to consider the type of butter (salted or unsalted), the climate (your kitchen temperature), and the type of container (manufacturer's wrapper, butter dish, or crock).
You likely know that butter is a dairy product, produced by churning milk or cream. This churning process separates the solids (butterfat) from the liquid (buttermilk).
Most commercially produced butter is pasteurized, which is a process that combats bacteria for safety. And because butter is comprised mostly of fat—U.S. guidelines specify that butter must be at least 80 percent fat—that helps keep bacteria at bay.
The color of butter can range from white to a darker yellow, depending on what the cows eat. Beyond these basics, there are three widely available types of butter: salted, unsalted, and whipped. (We’re not including vegan butter in this article.)
When deciding whether to leave butter out on the counter, first check to see what kind of butter you have.
Salted Butter
According to the American Butter Institute, the trade organization for American butter makers. salted butter is fine to leave out at room temperature anywhere from a few days to two weeks, taking into account factors such as the climate and container. 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. The salt in the butter also does its part to help keep it fresh. If your room rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, however, it's time to store the butter in the refrigerator.
Unsalted and Whipped Butter
Unsalted butter and whipped butter are more perishable than salted butter and should not be kept out on the counter for an extended period of time. They can be brought out ahead of use to soften to a spreadable consistency, which may take 30 to 60 minutes, but should not be outside of the refrigerator for longer periods of time.
Unpasteurized Butter
Homemade butter, raw milk butter , or any butter that is not pasteurized should also always be refrigerated. The FDA considers those TCS (time/temperature control for safety) foods, which means they must be refrigerated for safety.
Light and air are the two main reasons butter goes rancid or spoils when stored outside of the refrigerator. When leaving salted butter out, be sure to store it in the right kind of container in order to protect from exposure to light and air, and to save your countertops from melted, rancid butter. Use a butter dish—or better still, a butter crock or butter keeper—to keep light and air out. The more air-tight, the longer the taste is preserved. Most butter crocks have a chamber that holds cold water, which sits on top of the surface of the butter keeping it cool and fresh.
Storing Butter in the Refrigerator
Butter is best stored in its original packaging, according to the American Butter Institute. It should be stored in the back of the refrigerator, which is the coldest part of the fridge. Ignore the special butter dish section in the door of some refrigerators and avoid storing it in the refrigerator door, which is a warmer area.
How to Know If Butter Is Off
Give your butter a sniff if you are concerned it may be off, or take a small taste. If you detect any rancid notes or unpleasant (and unusual) sour tastes, it may be off and you should discard it.
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.
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.
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.
Salted butter is less prone to going bad on the counter than unsalted butter. If you're a serious supporter of leaving butter out, go with the salted kind. It's important to note, however, that the amount of salt in different brands of butter can vary.
The FDA recommends butter only go unrefrigerated for a day or two — a major sticking point for the L.A.-based “butter evangelist" whose own lab tests found no signs of spoilage after 30 days at temperatures up to 77 F.
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.
Unlike soft cheeses, such as cream cheese, ricotta, or cottage cheese, butter can stay out of the fridge for hours, even days, without the risk of spoilage or food safety issues. "Butter is safe to eat after being out at room temperature," says Bri Bell, a registered dietitian, and food safety expert.
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.
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.
Butter also consists of at least 80% fat, and bacteria needs water to grow. Since butter is mostly fat, it creates a barrier that makes it almost impenetrable to bacteria. Another factor determining how long butter is safe to be left on the counter is the presence of salt.
Butter is made from fat and protein components of churned cream, and contains about 80% butterfat. It is difficult for bacteria to penetrate such a high amount of fat, but over time it can break down, says Michael Laiskonis, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education.
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.
According to Engen, butter should not be left out for more than four hours. While those few hours give it a little more wiggle room than other dairy products, which “the USDA and FDA require to be stored in refrigerated conditions,” Engen says to “always return any unused butter to the refrigerator.
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.
How long can cheese sit out before it becomes unsafe to eat? For the best taste and quality, cheese should not be left out for longer than two hours at room temperature. Hard cheeses can be left out longer without becoming unsafe, but the quality and taste may change.
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.
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