Real butter:

[Texasgal]

Refrigerator or not?

[Major Nikon]

1. If you want it to keep longer

I will sometimes leave butter out for an hour or so before use if I want it more spreadable. The hazard to leaving butter out is not so much pathogen growth, but rather having it go rancid. This isn't going to happen over the span of a few days and if it does, you'll know it.

[Texasgal]

2. Thank you for your reply.

I was curious. My Grandmother churned her own butter and never but it the fridge. Today, I was visiting and elderly aunt in her assisted living apartment. I went to tidy up her kitchen and noticed a small plate with soft butter in it on the counter. She told me she never refrigerates hers and that she has toast every morning with a small dab of soft butter.

It made me wonder if this was okay.

[Major Nikon]

5. In Europe they tend to have very small refrigerators

As such they don't refrigerate many of the things we routinely do. Fruit spreads, butter, and eggs are typically stored in the pantry. With today's large refrigerators as a standard appliance in US homes, we refrigerate lots of things that don't really require it, but doing so greatly extends shelf life. It wasn't always that way.

[elleng]

3. Yes.

[dem in texas]

4. I Used to keep butter out

Way long ago in the early 1960's, we lived in Germany and had only a tiny refrigerator which I used mostly for milk and meat. I kept the butter in the pantry. I had to shop more often since I couldn't refrigerate as many foods. Now if I take some butter out of the fridge to use for cooking and there is some left on the stick, I will leave it out, but make sure I use it in a few days. If you want soft butter for toast and bread, you can buy a European butter keeper and it will keep the butter good for a about a week. The test of butter is to use your nose, if it doesn't smell good, throw it away.

[Kali]

6. personal preference

you can freeze it too. if you like it soft and your house is reasonably cool leave it out. or try a butter crock - https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Glazed-Stoneware-Butter-Keeper/dp/B0000VLURQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473818233&sr=8-2&keywords=french+butter+dish+with+water




otherwise keep in the fridge.

[Major Nikon]

7. I usually buy a 4 stick pack and freeze 3 of the sticks

[Phentex]

12. That's what I do...

too icky here to leave anything out. I don't even leave bread out until winter.

[Texasgal]

9. Intersting!

Thanks for the link!

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Here's what the Kitchen says.....

http://www.thekitchn.com/does-butter-really-need-to-be-refrigerated-224036|

[Texasgal]

10. Well, i think that answers my questions.

I assume my auntie just keeps a small amount out for a few days.

Thank you for all the replies!

[Warpy]

11. Fridge in hot weather, fridge always if unsalted

Salted butter can survive at room temperature for a while.

I buy unsalted butter on sale and freeze it until I need it. It freezes beautifully.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. I buy unsalted butter.

I keep whatever current stick I'm in the process of using on the counter. Sometimes, on really hot days, I'll put it in the fridge. But most of the time it's out.

I have never had it go rancid, but a stick only lasts me about a week or so.

Keep in mind, I'm not keeping all of the butter out. Sticks awaiting use wait in the fridge.

And at the risk of repeating myself, I've never had butter go rancid.

[EdditJones]

14. small cereremic contianer is what works

we keep butter in small containers on tabletop. cold hard butter is hard to spread and swaller for some older folks. soft if better.

[awoke_in_2003]

15. Use a French butter dish

https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Glazed-Stoneware-Butter-Keeper/dp/B0000VLURQ

Basically, the water keeps the bad stuff out. They also make them in stick shape, but since the butter has to be soft to mold into the holder anyway, the one I linked to will work.