I put butter in the fridge, DH wants it on the counter. Who is right?

[MixedFamily]

We don’t have a huge kitchen so it will always be at least 1 mt away from hob or window. Would a butter dish “protect” it enough from it? I have always assumed butter goes in the fridge but he says it doesn’t. What do others do?

When we moved into a council house some 21 years ago we had a cold stone. It wasn't marble or fancy but I was ever so impressed I wanted my mum to use it. She said why would we when we've got a fridge and now I feel like a cold stone is essential if I ever buy my own house.

always fridge, then take it out a bit before needing to use it

On the side, if it's real butter

Butter dish on the worktop.

No.

Natural butter is enormously variable and depends on the breed of cow, what the cow was eating, what time of year, whether from the morning milk or evening milk, what percentage proteins and whey - lots and lots of other things as well.

What some companies do is make a butter using milks that NATURALLY create a butter that is NATURALLY softer and can be spread straight from the fridge.

But you did say that you don't google... Hmm.

Mine is in a butter dish on the work surface. Even then it's often like a brick in winter. Butter is like chocolate - the flavour is lost if you eat it straight from the fridge😅

There is no butter that can be spread straight from the fridge

There is butter that can be sliced like a thick cheese slice from the fridge and put on a slice of cucumber, but I wouldnt know anything about that.

And tomatoes and cheese.

Depends what you use it for... if I want to spread it, i keep it out. If I want to cook with it and cut of random bits, I keep it in the fridge.

The word butter has lost all meaning now. And I'm away to make some toast for my supper ... With soooo much lurpak spreadable.

Have also added 'proper butter' to my shopping tomorrow!

Oh dear. This is why (Australian living in U.K. nearly 20 yrs) why I fail to assimilate.

1. real butter (French butter, sorry Britons) lives in the fridge. So: before use, you take the pack out, cut off what you need for toast or sandwiches etc, put that amount into a little ceramic dish, put the dish in the microwave for ten seconds, then hurrah it’s ready to use. Remaining Butter stays fresh in fridge. Having lived somewhere hot, the idea of leaving a perishable dairy product at room temperature seems like an invitation to a hideous gastric upset. Has no one in the U.K. experienced rancid butter? It’s revolting.
2. i thought that horizontal surfaces of a kitchen are called variously in U.K. / us “worktop” or “countertop” or (aust) “benchtop”. So all these Repeated references to “the side” confuse me. Which side? Where? The side of what? It makes no grammatical sense. Is this “side” part of a kitchen? Is this a class marker or location related? If it’s location, Does anyone south of say Oxford refer to this “side” thing? I have never seen a kitchen retailer for example selling “deluxe sides” for a kitchen, but willl accept that maybe I’ve never noticed. Keen to hear more but equally accept I might not get it.

sorry to derail on point 2.

This! You only live once, you should both have your butter how you like it!

except in the hottest weather mine is in a covered butter dish in the cabinet not the fridge. It keeps for at least a week.

Probably short hand for side board, a throw back to when homes had a cabinet or dresser or shelving

This is actually the first sensible ‘answer all’ to these quandary’s. Genius

So I should wake up an hour early just so I can take the butter out of the fridge for when I want to eat toast with my coffee ? Riiiight.

I keep butter out in a butter dish, unless it's sweltering. The rest of the butter (for baking or whatever) is stored in the fridge, but the butter we are actually using is on the side.

@wassailess I like the sound of a butter house, how cute!

My butter is in a yellow butter dish in the cupboard with the bread.

Mayonnaise is stable at room temperature, even once it’s opened. Ketchup on the other hand very definitely needs to be refrigerated after opening, it used to have loads of preservatives added but not anymore.

summer in the fridge, winter on the counter

I keep it in the fridge and it lasts us a while. But I do take out what I need beforehand and let it warm up.

Dairy UK say it should be stored in the fridge
"This is because butter kept at room temperature will go off within the space of a few days. So while your butter will be soft and spreadable, it won’t taste as good and it may not be safe to eat."
https://metro.co.uk/2017/04/13/its-official-butter-should-be-kept-in-the-fridge-6571917/

"The UK Food Standards Agency recommends refrigerating purely for the quality of the product, rather than safety reasons."
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/a568234/where-to-store-butter/

US Dairy says unsalted butter should be refrigerated, salted butter is ok to leave on counter but consume within couple of days
https://www.usdairy.com/news-articles/does-butter-need-to-be-refrigerated#:~:text=If%20it%20creeps%20above%2070,for%20a%20day%20or%20two.

Canadian (British Columbia Dairy) say it's better to refrigerate but if on counter consume within few days.
https://bcdairy.ca/keeping-butter-fresh/#:~:text=Left%20unwrapped%2C%20either%20salted%20or,used%20with%20in%203%20weeks

Cut a chunk of butter around the right size for the next day and put it in a covered butter dish each evening when you're clearing up after dinner. Leave the butter dish out. That way the butter is spreadable for breakfast in the morning. Teach family to cut off the amount of butter they need and put in on the side of their plate to avoid crumbs in the butter dish. This is classic good manners and classy behaviour.

Leftover butter is fine for several days. There will be other posters who manage to make a 250g block of butter last for six months, but in our household of two adults, 40-50g is enough per day.

Oh I was right, sideboard history...

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2005/09/14/a-short-history-of-sideboards?srsltid=AfmBOoqeyUE8x7eHMzX3DIlSvzynU0x_VmstvDJ4zUB8FGy2W8ZHbEi9

It's not butter if it's spreadable 😉

OP, butter goes in a butter dish not in the fridge.

@rainbowunicorn not the ones I choose. I deliberately don't want any with oil in.

Have a small dish and cut off approx 50-100g at a time it's absolutely fine even in the height of summer.