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Original poster

To keep spreadable butter in the cupboard

244 replies

willywallaby · 08/01/2026 21:05

Every time MIL comes round she moves the spreadable butter from the cupboard to the fridge and explains that it spreads straight from the fridge, so it needs to be kept in the fridge. Spreadable butter does not spread straight from the fridge though. None of the own brand ones do and Anchor doesn't. I don't know about Lurpak. MIL bakes all her own sourdough so maybe it spreads better on there. And it spreads okay on toast. But making a regular sandwich on supermarket sliced bread is a ridiculous experience with spreadable butter unless it's at room temp. I only keep spreadable butter in the fridge if the weather is hot enough to liquify the butter. Or if MIL has been round and I haven't put things right again.

OP posts:
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6
Twinkletwinkly · 09/01/2026 06:48

I wonder if your fridge temperature is too cold if you’re finding that spreadable butters aren’t spreading straight from the fridge like they’re supposed to? I’ve never found that problem.

Original poster
willywallaby · 09/01/2026 06:37

ThePerfectWeekend · 09/01/2026 06:27

HRTFT, but why on earth would you buy that crap only to treat it like the real thing? The only reason I can see for buying it (and I never would), is that it spreads straight from the fridge.

It's about half the price!

OP posts:
Perrylobster · 09/01/2026 06:36

Starzinsky · 08/01/2026 21:27

Never put mine in the fridge as it doesn't spread so well from the fridge. I agree it's annoying when visitors move it to the fridge.

Very annoying. Mine always stays out in a butter dish.

Hundslappadrifa · 09/01/2026 06:33

nomas · 08/01/2026 21:16

She’s an interfering twat. She can do what she wants in her own home but she can’t dictate to you.

Tell her to stop moving the butter. And next time you’re at hers, move the butter into the cupboard, she how she likes it.

Oh FGS, spreadable butter IS meant to be in the bloody fridge, or it’ll be a tub of slop. Why so nasty?

ThePerfectWeekend · 09/01/2026 06:27

HRTFT, but why on earth would you buy that crap only to treat it like the real thing? The only reason I can see for buying it (and I never would), is that it spreads straight from the fridge.

SouthernNights59 · 09/01/2026 06:20

I just checked my spreadable ACTUAL butter and it says:

"Keep Refrigerated. To keep your Buttersoft nice and spreadable try to minimise the amount of time it is out of the fridge"

However, as I said that is butter with no added ingredients, I have no idea about other types.

EleanorReally · 09/01/2026 06:19

people insist on putting my tomatoes in the fridge
now that is wrong

EleanorReally · 09/01/2026 06:19

i have to take it out a while before spreading but it should live in the fridge

SouthernNights59 · 09/01/2026 06:12

searchforthesun · 08/01/2026 21:26

Don’t buy spreads, they are full of non necessary ingredients to make them spread. Just buy butter and leave it out. It’s better for you.

I'm not in the UK but the spreadable butter I buy IS butter, there are no non necessary ingredients.

Your MIL is right OP, it should be kept in the fridge. It only takes a very short time out to be spreadable on bread.

Buffypaws · 09/01/2026 06:06

In this weather it’s fine on the counter unless you have a hot kitchen. When I leave it out too long in summer it melts.

Wholenutislife · 09/01/2026 05:47

Shes not right if its real butter, in a butter dish on the side or in a cupboard. Only when its too hot does mine go in the fridge. Ive found recently with it being so cold that its even too firm out on the fridge 😂

LiveLuvLaugh · 09/01/2026 05:34

I leave it out on weeknights when sandwiches are being made in the morning. It absolutely isn’t soft enough to spread on soft bread straight from the fridge. I find Kerrygold spreadable bit softer.

Simonjt · 09/01/2026 05:18

The whole point of butter is to preserve dairy, of course it doesn’t need to be in fhe fridge, and we all know plant oils don’t need to be in the fridge either.

nomas · 09/01/2026 04:28

ZenZazie · 09/01/2026 03:52

I’d keep in in the fridge as I find the possibility of rancid butter off putting.

She hasn’t asked where to put her spread. She has it where she wants it.

nomas · 09/01/2026 04:27

nomas · 09/01/2026 04:26

I wouldn’t say Danpak/Norpak are nearly butter. It’s 40% butter, then water, then 25% rapeseed oil. Or it even says 32% milk fat and 25% rape seed oil.

Edited
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To keep spreadable butter in the cupboard
nomas · 09/01/2026 04:26

HouseAshamed · 08/01/2026 23:00

@Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar , I agree. The Danpak/Norpak ones are nearly (but not quite) butter. Clover and I Can't Believe Anyone Would Think This Was Butter are 'spreads'.

I wouldn’t say Danpak/Norpak are nearly butter. It’s 40% butter, then water, then 25% rapeseed oil. Or it even says 32% milk fat and 25% rape seed oil.

ZenZazie · 09/01/2026 03:52

I’d keep in in the fridge as I find the possibility of rancid butter off putting.

Isthisfunyet · 09/01/2026 03:40

Get a butter spreading knife on Amazon, it is meant to use on cold butter and is life changing.

For the question, real pure butter can be left out but spreadable butter can't be left out long, a maximum of 2 days. The additives and oils added can cause it to go rancid quickly, grow bacteria and can make you sick. People don't even realize because it might just be digestive upset or feel like indigestion.

So yes it can be out a few days at most but then there is a risk of it going rancid quickly. Pure butter does not go rancid as quickly because there is no added oil. The high fat and salt content acts as a natural preservative to keep it fresh.

Eenameenadeeka · 09/01/2026 03:02

She's right that it's meant to be stored in the fridge, but you can do whatever you want in your own home and she's overstepping.

Talipesmum · 09/01/2026 00:28

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 09/01/2026 00:12

Well, blow me down with a feather. I did not know this.
So there is some sort of spreadable butter that you buy in tubs and keep in the fridge. I did ask if there was.
But OP calls Danepack "spreadable butter"?
Anyway, I only buy Tesco salted butter in blocks which goes in a butter dish on the worktop, and clover which lives in the fridge. I've never bought anchor spreadable AFAIR.
As I said, I was just looking for clarification. I don't actually care who calls what what.

Show quote history

Lurpak / Danpak spreadable, and anchor spreadable are a mix of butter and rapeseed oil, to make it more spreadable. So they’re approx half butter. They def taste a lot nicer than non-butter-containing spreads, to me anyway.

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 09/01/2026 00:12

Bigearringsbigsmile · 08/01/2026 23:57

Vitality and clover aren't butter

Anchor spreadable IS butter

Show quote history

Well, blow me down with a feather. I did not know this.
So there is some sort of spreadable butter that you buy in tubs and keep in the fridge. I did ask if there was.
But OP calls Danepack "spreadable butter"?
Anyway, I only buy Tesco salted butter in blocks which goes in a butter dish on the worktop, and clover which lives in the fridge. I've never bought anchor spreadable AFAIR.
As I said, I was just looking for clarification. I don't actually care who calls what what.

Bigearringsbigsmile · 08/01/2026 23:57

Vitallite and clover aren't butter

Anchor spreadable IS butter

mumofoneAloneandwell · 08/01/2026 23:57

I keep my lurpak next to the fridge - it just doesn’t spread otherwise!!

Bigearringsbigsmile · 08/01/2026 23:57

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 08/01/2026 23:34

No, I'm in the UK, I just don't call it that and my husband never has either 🤷

To me, butter is butter, spread is something else. We called it by brand name eg: "pass me The Clover/The Lurpack/The Vitalite" or I might call these things collectively "spreads".

I'm surprised people don't differentiate because to me, they are different things and we use them for different purposes. And they taste completely and utterly different??

It's like calling margarine butter to me. Or mayonnaise. It's not?

Anyway I don't care. I just needed clarification.

Show quote history

Vitality and clover aren't butter

Anchor spreadable IS butter

MrsClatterbuck · 08/01/2026 23:55

Growing up in the sixties butter was in a butter dish kept in the cupboard. My mum grew up during the thirties and forties. No fridge and butter kept in cupboard. She lived till 94.