To keep spreadable butter in the cupboard

My DS doesn't like his ketchup in the fridge - it's only him that eats it , so it sits on the side and never an issue .

If the OP keeps it at room temperature and it doesn't go off before it's used up then it's fine to keep it out of the fridge and it's the OPs house and preference therefore she is NBU. MIL should butt out.

Same for ketchup and other sauces. They print all sorts of crap about keeping refrigerated and discarding within a few weeks of opening on the bottle but that can safely be ignored.

Lurpack spreadable contains butter, milk, rapeseed oil, water, lactic culture, salt. Where are the "additives"?

This is a big difference with my MIL and I. MIL has an American style fridge freezer because she basically keeps everything in the fridge that says “keep refrigerated”. She had 2 whole shelves dedicated to just jars and sauces etc that I keep and the cupboard.

In the cupboard I keep, jams, mustards, all sauces except mayo, butter on the side, eggs. I’ve done this all my life and so has my mum. Never been ill once.

Some people insist on keeping eggs in the fridge even though you literally buy them at room temp? I think its ok to use your own instinct

That’s why M&S “softer” butter is the only one worth buying. In the extensive research I did 😹 , ALL the others usually had oil and sometimes cream added. The M&S one isn’t very, very soft but not fridge hard. It stays out on the counter as it is real butter. I think it’s churned more or something. Don’t buy that muck like Anchor or Lurpak 🔨 (gavel)

I’ve never kept butter in the fridge and I’m somehow still alive and well 34 years later

There is no such thing as spreadable butter. Either it is butter or it is not. Are you referring to a vegetable oil processed butter alternative? If so keep it where you want, it’s so full of additives it won’t matter.

I keep ketchup in the fridge because it takes a year to get through a small bottle. It would definitely go mouldy if I didn't.

Block butter has a much higher fat & lower water content which is a more hostile environment for bacteria so fine left out for a week or so. Spreads contain oils, emulsifiers and more water so are a much better environment for bacteria to grow hence needing to be refrigerated.

For the ‘don’t want to wash a butter dish’ argument - surely you use it for the week, pop in dishwasher then add new block for the next week so hardly a major chore

No but it’s relevant because block butter can be left out. Spreadable butter goes in the fridge. It literally says it on the packaging.

she shouldn’t touch your butter though. She should just judge you silently 🤣

Well, what does the tub say about where it should be stored?

I'm team OP.
We have Danpak for sandwiches (DP has it on toast) and real butter for toast and cooking.
Both live on the counter. Never gone mouldy or rancid.
Occasionally I'll buy the M & S spreadable butter, which I think is just extra whipped or something, and that does spread from the fridge, but it's very expensive.

There might not be such a thing as 'spreadable butter' in the UK but I can assure you it exists elsewhere.

I buy Clover spreadable and Google states this:

Your MIL is wrong for interfering but I imagine she’s worried about getting food poisoning or something and wants to refrigerate your spreadable butter while she’s there as it’s making her feel sick eating warm butter. I’d be the same tbh. Even real butter is a bit gross to me when it’s been out on the worktop, but I buy spreadable Anchor too and when that is at room temp it’s greasy and too soft for me to enjoy.

If you scrape what you want out and put it onto the bread in one lump, by the time you put the tub back in the fridge the butter you got out is soft enough to spread without being half melted.

I’ve never had an issue with it but my DP who prefers flora always moans that my Anchor is too hard to spread. Skill issue I say.

Ours is always on the counter and we’ve always been fine. I checked and to be fair it does say keep refrigerated but what’s the point in spreadable butter if it’s solid? Have people never heard of butter dishes with real butter?? They’re always out and spreadable butter is way more processed and stable than that surely.

Marketed being the key word

I think spreadable contains more oil so is more likely to go rancid quickly out of the fridge than block butter. Some people are supertasters for rancid butter (I am) so maybe your MIL picks that up more quickly than you do.

If you want to keep it out the fridge, crack on. You’d know if it was off. She should let you run your own house. I feel like everyone is suggesting you are unreasonable for buying spreadable butter but that wasn’t your question.

Clover isn't butter, its a vegetable spread with some buttermilk added

real butter, lives in a butter dish in the counter, all year, except height of summer. I don’t like spreadable butter….

Anchor is butter same as lurpak
The spreadable ones both have added oil

Me too, I gave spreadable, unless extreme heat, it’s fine!
its unclosed in a butter dish like container, tho these days often use nut butter on toast

You do get some marketed as softer butters with no added oil. Kerrygold I think, plus one from M&S