Butter?!

[theshadeofgreen]

Not exciting, I'm afraid... but I'm curious. So due to lack of availability and because it's £1000000 per pack I've picked up salted block butter rather than Lurpack in today's shop.

I have fond memories of helping my grandmother to make sandwiches using her lovely soft butter from her china butter dish so had a smile to myself. I found out a butter dish and popped it on the side, already looking forward to slathering it on tiger loaf toast tomorrow morning.

DH walked in the kitchen, took a good look at said butter dish as if it may explode and then made a show of putting it back in the fridge. I watched him, and then told him I'm sure it's fine leaving covered on the side, just like my granny always did.

He is adamant butter can't be left out... it will go bad, it will poison us, the children will never be the same etc etc

So who's right MN? Can I leave my butter out or am I dooming us to stomach upset and horrible sandwiches?

You are right.

Depends how hot the kitchen is. Ours is left out most of the time except when it's very hot outside. It doesn't last long enough to go rancid/off. It won't spread direct from the fridge and will rip whatever you're trying to spread it on

Ours lives on the side unless there's a heat wave. Proper butter from the fridge is far too hard.

www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-butter-go-bad

You have to leave it out or it will be impossible to spread. If it’s in an airtight butter dish and kept out of direct heat it will be soft but not melted and shouldn’t go rancid.

We only ever keep butter in the fridge if it’s being stored while there’s another block being used in the dish (or if the butter is for use in cooking or baking where it doesn’t need to be soft).

You’re right. My butter dish is on the side right now. Your DH is weird.

butter can be left out.

but I usually cut a block in half and freeze the other half.

I wouldn’t leave a full block of butter out.
Did you cut a small slice for the butter dish? That’s totally fine imo but not the full thing.

You're right OP

I leave a full block out. Lasts perfectly well

No, I put the whole block out? Reassuring to see many people do the same.

I'm gloating.

And my DH is weird, isn't he

Of course you leave it out what else is a butter dish for?!

I grew up in a time before most homes had a fridge. Butter was kept in its butter dish in the larder, which, because of its position in the house was always cool.

Obviously, it's fine to keep butter out of the fridge. However, I wouldn't keep it in a warm kitchen but in a cool cupboard.

And no, you won't die from eating unrefrigerated butter because you will definitely know, if and when, it has gone rancid and is no longer suitable for eating.

Why not keep half the block in the butter dish in a cool cupboard and half in the fridge until you need it.

Ours is left out all the time. It only goes soft if its a heatwave outside

You are right unless its warm and then butter does go bad fast and taste weird.

Your DH is an idiot. Where on earth has this notion that butter must be kept in the fridge come from?

It will be absolutely fine at room temperature, where it's supposed to be kept, for at least a week or two, unless it's really hot, so at this time of year you might want to put out a quarter/third/half a pack at a time as it will start to taste rancid in a few weeks, which is the trigger to stop eating it, but it will probably never actually make anyone sick.

My butter also lives on the side and no, it doesn't go "liquid" or rancid. It doesn't spread from the fridge and I'm not organised to take it out 20 mins before I need it!

Leaving the whole block out is fine. Depends how long it will take you to use it but if you’ll use it within about 10 days or so it’s fine. Longer than that and it might be better to keep half in the fridge and half in the butter dish.

When it's hot we cut a chunk off the main block to leave in the butter dish. In the winter I happily leave the whole block out.

Also smug points for me as I made our butter dish at a pottery evening class when DD was a baby.

I do a bit of both, with a big block just cut off a little and put in the butter dish and put the rest in the fridge. If it's really hot keep it in the fridge and get out at least half hour before use. I'm winter can keep it all at room temperature, unless your heating is on excessively

I fridge it, we don’t use it enough for it not to go rancid and it’s only really for ‘nice’ anyway, we have Aldi spreadable and marj for most of the time.

Plus some butter is naturally softer than others. Outside high summer, I give the packs a little squeeze to make sure I'm buying something that will be spreadable at room temperature.

In the summer, I look for a naturally firmer butter so it doesn't go quite as liquid in the heat.

But we're currently using the Aldi West Country salted one, after seeing recommendations on here. It is a little soft for high summer, but it's really nice.

Same with eggs! I usually fridge in summer or if not going to use for a while.

The only time ours is in the fridge is if it's so hot it becomes a buttery puddle.

I use the butter as a basic thermometer!