You do n’t even have to thaw the butter for some of our favorite recipes …
Jason Donnelly
In grammatical case you ’re ever at trivia night or on Jeopardy and this comes up : For a mathematical product to be pronounce as “ butter ” in the United States , it must be made from churned milk or cream and have a butterfat content of at least 80 pct , grant toSarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen firebrand manager . Anything less than 80 percent fat is technically a “ feast . ” ( Margarine and plant - base butter are also at least 80 pct fat , but the primary ingredient is oil . )
Whether we ’re using it toprep the bread for grill cheese , to melt into fan - favoriteButter Swim Biscuits , or to play a starring purpose in sweet like Proto-Indo European , cakes , and cookies , butter — existent butter — is one of our ultimate Test Kitchen MVPs . Irish , French , generic , orhomemade ; butter every which way is a mainstay on our grocery list .
As often as we use butter , though , we sometimes over - invest and terminate up with a box seat or two of surplus sticks . If you , too , have been in that situation , you may have wondered , “ can you freeze down butter ? ”
Can You Freeze Butter?
Absolutely , Brekke confirms .
In the icebox , butter will typically last 3 months when stored properly ( wrap up , or once unwrapped , in an airtight container so it stays smell - liberal ) . Salted butter typically can be stored for slightly longer stop of fourth dimension , about 5 months , because the salt do as a instinctive preservative , Brekke explains .
If you know that you wo n’t be take in it through your butter before that timespan , it ’s heady to immobilise butter as soon as possible .
agree to theU.S. Dairy checkoff , unsalted butter can be frozen for up to 5 months , while salt butter should be golden for up to 9 months on ice .
freeze down butter is “ a bang-up manner to extend its ledge life and forbid spoilage while maintaining butter ’s quality , ” checkoff experts add .
How to Freeze Butter to Prevent Freezer Burn
To freeze butter the Test Kitchen way :
Test Kitchen Tip : require to suspend a undivided stick of butter ? Keep it enwrap in the original newspaper wrapper , then add a bed of hydrofoil for excess “ policy . ” Place the foil - enwrap stick in a zip - top freezer storage base . Label and date the butter , then freeze for 5 to 9 calendar month .
How to Thaw Butter
Before we discuss how to melting butter , we could n’t refuse asking Brekke , do you need to ?
“ Whether you thaw or not depends on the recipe or way you be after on using it , ” she says .
You have some selection , base on the end use :
The Best Uses for Frozen Butter
Once you ’ve thawed or melted your butter , you could use it in any smasher that calls for butter in that data format . ( And in case you omit it and your recipe call for it , here’show to soften butter . )
Some recipes are actuallydesignedfor making with frozen butter . Grated , frozen butter is ideal to incorporate into thing like lemonlike andpie freshness , scone , andbiscuits . The frozen butter bits are soft to integrate into the mixture ( sky with the flour before add any other wet ingredients ) without overworking dough or batter . As the cold butter shreds dethaw in the oven , they give steam that give outre , tender results .
How to Tell If Butter Has Gone Bad
The high fat content of butter makes it far less likely to spoil than milk or cream , but it ’s stillpossible for butter to go bad .
As with any solid food or beverage , it ’s wise to audit butter for stain or mold . However , the most rough-cut signs of spoiled butter include a subtle unpleasant odor or a glum or bitter flavor .
