An ongoing 45 year old argument in my household has been BUTTER.
My wife insists on keeping it in the refrigerator, I say leave it out so it is spreadable when you want to use it.. I say science backs me up she tells me common sense is her argument.
How do you store it?
This^^^ On accounta any fool knows room temp butter spreads better, but if wife wants hard, cold, unspreadable butter, than make that happen fer yer significant other...
Mine lives on th kitchen table, in a cut-glass butter dish that usedta be my Granny's...
We Good, all up in Here, at Least...
We have kept ours on a kitchen counter in a butter bell similar to this one. Has worked for many years even with south Texas heat. Bulk storage in fridge of course.
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The USDA says not refrigerating butter is perfectly fine for one to two days, and after that, especially at room temps above 70°, it can turn rancid.
We used to place a stick of butter in a butter keeper (butter bell), which is nice for spreadable butter. Any more, though, we don't eat enough spreadable butter to warrant using the butter keeper. Most of our butter goes into baking and cooking, so it's all stored in the fridge.
The USDA is out of their minds. I've never stored butter except for out at room temps and it's never gone rancid, even in the summer. It's used within a week but... 1-2 days is, like a lot of their recs, far too conservative.
I've not had it go rancid in the butter bell, but I have had it go moldy, rickgregory , within a week. We just didn't eat it fast enough to have a good turnover.
We have a butter bell, and it's gotten mold. But I think it's due to the humidity from the water, along with being warm and dark (when assembled.)
We've never had mold on a simple dry butter dish.
I am with Texas Larry on this. Bulk storage in the fridge. We keep the butter dish close to the stove and the toaster. House inside temps in the 70s will definitely not hurt the butter. Don't know about say 90 or so............seems to me if you can keep cooking oil out of the fridge you can butter also. Now, if I leave oil outside on the back porch in the summer here in Ala. (temps in the 90's), it will get rancid but not in the house.
All my life I've left butter on the counter. Even my parents, who used margarine left it out on the counter. My wife's BIL lives in Florida and commented while visiting, "If we did that back home we would have a melted mess." So perhaps it matters what your climate is. Currently, with temps breaking 100F, mine is extremely soft, but still holds shape. As for the science, it's safe to leave out, but only for a couple of days. Since I go through a stick a day it's not a problem for me. Perhaps a compromise for the two of you is butter spread, it's butter and olive or canola oil. Spreadable right out of the refrigerator.
The butter bell has water in the bottom that seals the butter from outside air and might even cool the butter a bit (?). Butter bowl sits upside down with rim in the water. FWIW.
Texas Larry I once considered one, but came to the conclusion the extra effort wasn't worth it to me. I just put a stick on a dish and I'm good to go. Seems to me the butter has to be softened and moulded into the bell. And if it doesn't stick, then your butter goes for a swim. Since I have no problem going through a stick in a day (2 or more English muffins, cooking eggs, buttered crackers for afternoon snack, cooking dinner) I really couldn't justify getting one for myself.
I actually but and use butter spread (butter mixed with canola oil) for things where I want it spreadable. Barbara calls it margarine and says it doesn't taste like butter, so "no thanks." We keep stick butter, salted and unsalted, in the fridge in fairly large quantities for cooking.
We have two weber kettle grills (one LARGE and one small/average), the SnS and the Weber Smokey Mountain 18" smoker. We use both natural lump charcoal and KNB for smoking and measure our temps with a Maverick 733, thermopen and MK4. Favorite beer depends on what is cooking (alt answer is yes).
We keep our bulk in the fridge and a stick out at room temp.
I learned a hack if you need spreadable butter but only have cold butter. Use a cheese cutter along the top of the stick. Melts on a warm surface VERY quickly! Great hack.
I can achieve the same results by just slicing very thinly off the end of the stick. The warm toast will then soften the butter immediately. Doesn't work with frozen though. It's a miserable time when I've used the last stick in the refrigerator and have to go to the freezer. That's when I raid my wife's butter spread tub.
My wife wants it in the refrigerator. Our compromise is to try to remember to take it out about an hour before eating and return after eating. If I forget, then I will microwave on 20% power to soften a bit.
Our small microwave is 900 watts and 66 sec @ 20% will soften butter without melting it. I wing it for less than full sticks...
If you decide to try this, start with a shorter time and work up to the time that gives the results you like.
A suggestion for you and Cheef Cut off what you'll use and keep in a small dish out of the refrigerator. Since on the counter might not sit will with SWMBO, keep it in a cupboard. After using it, slice some off the stick in the refrigerator for next use.
The downside is you may have to keep it under lock and key. Once the convenience is discovered, she might be using it for herself!
Butter has milk solids in it so it can possibly go bad. But how long that takes, who really knows. Now I seem to recall growing up with something that looked like yours on our kitchen table or near the stove. I would much rather leave it out but we don't have much counter space. We also don't have much space in the fridge but it has it's own special shelf. It also tastes much better left out than quick melted on toast.
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kids just used it. This is what it looks like as of three minutes ago, of course the they "forgot" to wash the spoon. 1/2lbs at a time in the dish until it’s gone. Period.
Rancid Schmancid Phuey!
all bulk lard, duck fat, olive oil and infused get stored in garage fridge.
Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
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Freezer, fridge 99% of the time
As mentioned we worry about butter on the counter for more than a few days going rancid.
That being said there’s nothing more frustrating then tearing a beauty piece of bread apart with cold butter😢
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