Softening butter!

[WheresThatCatGoneNow]

I often take a pat of butter out of my fridge, unwrap it and place it in the butter dish.

Obviously, it's always far too hard to spread it on bread straightaway.

So! How do YOU soften it?

I'm just teally interested to hear some of your techniques!

Mine is the microwave.

But, another fascinating question is how long do you dare to leave it in the microwave before it starts melting too much?

My maximum is twenty seconds. And mine is not a powerful microwave - only 700 watts - and the butter is soft enough to spread.

Imagine what an 850 watt oven would do to a pat of butter! It would be liquid You'd have to pour it onto the bread!

So, what are your stories about softening butter?

The defrost setting on the microwave usually works better for me.

Do that thing of scraping the top with a knife until it gets soft

Two butter dishes and rotate them so one always has soft butter

I use the microwave for a few seconds (not 20 though). Does the trick for me.

Heated butter knife!

Never have butter in the fridge, it lives in the cupboard. but on occasion that Ive forgotten to get a new one out, I have to put the butter dish on the radiator for a bit, not too long as it softens quicker than you think

I don't keep it in the fridge, it just sits out all year round. Sometimes in winter it's still a bit hard, but nothing like refrigerated butter. Usually it's perfectly ready to spread.

Put as much as you want onto a plate, fill a cup with hot water. Leave it for a minute so the cup is hot. Empty it, then place upside down over the butter for a few seconds, then repeat until soft enough.

I keep my butter in the kitchen cupboard with the teabags. It only goes in the fridge in summer when it's hot. I still sometimes use the cup method in winter. I got a new block out on Friday evening thinking I'd make a cake on Saturday, it's still too firm even to spread.

It’s a very mild point of disagreement with my other half! I like my butter just spreadable but still cold whereas my partner wants it very easily spreadable. I’ll microwave mine for 10 seconds if I have to and he thinks it’s still too hard to spread. He’ll go for 20-30 seconds and be happy but I think it’s too melted…ultimately we agree to disagree and whoever is making the food gets to decide!

Buy spreadable

@AuntTwacky

Buy spreadable

Its not butter though.

In the winter months I always keep the butter dish in the lounge, because that is our warmest room.

Mine lives in the microwave (so the flies can't get at it) because I keep forgetting to buy a butter dish.

Buy spreadable

Its not butter though.

I live in NZ and you can get pure spreadable butter here. Marvellous stuff!!

@SquirrelG

Buy spreadable

Its not butter though.

I live in NZ and you can get pure spreadable butter here. Marvellous stuff!!

How so?

We get it to but it is not butter!

Microwave a bit in a small glass jar (Gu pud jars are perfect for this.)

Use a sharp vegetable knife to slice off a very thin sheet of the hard butter and lie it on the bread.

Our microwave has a "Soften" function just for this purpose.

Average 15 seconds in the microwave depending on prevailing room temp.

I set my microwave to 180 watts and pop it in for 30-40 seconds.

The only ingredients in my spreadable butter are butter and salt.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/277734139?preservedReferrer=www.google.co.uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> President butter is also spreadable straight from the fridge.

@WheresThatCatGoneNow

I often take a pat of butter out of my fridge, unwrap it and place it in the butter dish.

Obviously, it's always far too hard to spread it on bread straightaway.

So! How do YOU soften it?

I'm just teally interested to hear some of your techniques!

Mine is the microwave.

But, another fascinating question is how long do you dare to leave it in the microwave before it starts melting too much?

My maximum is twenty seconds. And mine is not a powerful microwave - only 700 watts - and the butter is soft enough to spread.

Imagine what an 850 watt oven would do to a pat of butter! It would be liquid You'd have to pour it onto the bread!

So, what are your stories about softening butter?

30 seconds in microwave full tub of butter, some was runny but soon solidified. When needed I'll try 20 seconds

@DoreensEatingHerSoreen

Heated butter knife!

Genius! Or you could heat the knife in boiled water ? I do that with a spoon for ice cream

Nancy Birtwhistle suggests pouring boiling water into a Pyrex bowl just big enough to cover the butter. Pour out the water, then place the bowl over the butter for a few minutes.