A Question About Butter

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Portal, May 16, 2013.

  1. Portal

    Portal Commander Red Shirt

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    When I take a stick of butter out of the refrigerator it's too cold to spread easily. I keep it in a sealed tupperware container.

    But my question is, how long can you leave butter at room temperature before it goes bad?
     
  2. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

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  3. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    ^Well I would disagree, numerous factors can come into play

    The butter itself, is it salted or unsalted.
    Is it stored in a container outside of the fridge, or left open to the air.
    What sort of climate to you live in
    etc...

    But the solution is rather simple, cut enough of the block to last you a few days, and put the rest into the Fridge.

    And as a counteer to the link above

    http://www.realsimple.com/food-reci...king-myths-debunked-10000001038617/page9.html
     
  4. Pingfah

    Pingfah Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I just put it in the microwave for 10 seconds on defrost. As long as you catch it in time you can get it nice and soft before it melts completely.
     
  5. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    I frequently let butter sit at room temperature for several days/couple weeks, and have never gotten sick or anything.
     
  6. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    Remember as well use by dates err on the side of caution.
     
  7. Spot's Meow

    Spot's Meow Vice Admiral Admiral

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    When I was a kid my mom left the butter out on the counter (in a glass container with a lid) for possibly weeks on end. She never kept it in the fridge. As for myself, I keep it in the fridge all of the time. This issue doesn't arise too often for me because I can't think of many things that I actually spread butter on to. I don't eat plain pieces of bread or toast with a meal. I guess the only time I really spread butter is for making grilled cheese sandwiches or egg in a baskets (or eggs in a basket?). Mostly I use the butter for cooking. However, if I do need it to soften then I just plan ahead and let it sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes before spreading.
     
  8. Gary7

    Gary7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Butter can go rancid. I use a butter mill. It's terrific. You put a stick of butter inside it then turn a crank. On the opposite end is a slit where the butter gets pushed through, creating a wide ribbon of the stuff. It's small enough to easily store inside a refrigerator door, but won't fit in the dedicated butter drawer.

    After about 9 months of using it, I started to notice a slight rancid smell. Apparently the butter remnants in the pusher had started to go bad. And this is something that was kept in the refrigerator all the time. I was using unsalted butter too.

    As long as your room temperature seldom goes above 80 degrees, it's probably OK to keep some salted butter in a glass container on the kitchen counter for about 5-7 days. Search on the Internet for this as well... you'll find a number of useful websites rather easily. Note that rancid doesn't mean dangerous. It just doesn't taste pleasant, but isn't harmful unless it's allowed to be rancid for a really long time.

    If I didn't have the butter mill, I'd probably get a butter bell. They're pretty neat in design.
     
  9. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    As others have said, nukeing it in a microwave for 10 or so seconds to soften it works. I don't use butter that much tend to go with margarine.
     
  10. tafkats

    tafkats Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Butter bells work pretty well as long as you don't need it to last a super long time.
     
  11. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I never even knew you could leave butter out for a significant period of time. Then again my culinary awareness and skill is rudimentary at best and my mother is a germophobe. :P
     
  12. Captain Ice

    Captain Ice Cookie Constructor Admiral

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    Depends upon where you live. In Arizona, it has to be kept in the fridge or it melts entirely. However, when i lived in California, the butter was always on the counter.
     
  13. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

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    I don't even keep butter in the house. The only time I spread butter on my bread or rolls is when I'm dining out. And I NEVER put butter on a grilled cheese sandwich. Cheese and butter? That's a heart attack between two slices of bread.
     
  14. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Makes more sense! Living in Texas, the temperature bit would apply to me in the summer.
     
  15. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    The butter goes on the outside of the bread.
     
  16. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I thought it went on both sides?
     
  17. Spot's Meow

    Spot's Meow Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Yes, on the outside. So that the bread doesn't burn in the pan.
     
  18. Chatty

    Chatty Ensign Red Shirt

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    Yes, grilled cheese sandwich-spread a thin layer of butter on outside of cheese sandwich, place in hot skillet and let toast on both sides. I also like to put ham on them occasionally too.
     
  19. Portal

    Portal Commander Red Shirt

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    Excellent, then it's called a Croque Monsieur.
     
  20. Chatty

    Chatty Ensign Red Shirt

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    I just call it a grilled hamncheese ;)