do you leave butter on the counter?

[dislaney]

Butter is kept on the counter in a covered butter dish. Have done it that way for years.

 

[cheshireqt]

Wow! I thought only people on farms left butter out (I say that b/c the only time I have seen butter left out is my Grandmother and DHs Grandmother who lived on ranch and farm, respectively - our in town Grandmothers refrigerated).
We refrigerate, but butter is for cooking, margarine is for spreading at our house.

 

[nancycg56]

My butter lives on the cupboard in a covered butter dish. In my family that's how we've always done it. The only time I put it in the fridge is if we are going on vacation

 

[fraggle551]

We keep it refrigerated, and if we are going to use it to spread on anything, I microwave it for 12 seconds, and its perfectly soft. Then it goes back in the fridge.

 

[shortbun]

I refrigerate it because it's a dairy product. When we're baking, we leave it out for a few hours to soften but use it right away. I don't use it often because even though I love toast, it's not especially great for you, especially with butter. I've started using a lot of olive oil for cooking instead of butter.

 

[Mermaid02]

Wow! I thought only people on farms left butter out (I say that b/c the only time I have seen butter left out is my Grandmother and DHs Grandmother who lived on ranch and farm, respectively - our in town Grandmothers refrigerated).
We refrigerate, but butter is for cooking, margarine is for spreading at our house.

Life's too short to eat fake butter!

 

[cluvsdisney]

Makes it easier to spread. I don't always leave it out because I don't use it much, but when I know I am going to, I leave it out.

I do the same thing.

 

[Art 1]

Life's too short to eat fake butter!

That's what I say.

 

[bballmom56]

We keep it refrigerated, and if we are going to use it to spread on anything, I microwave it for 12 seconds, and its perfectly soft. Then it goes back in the fridge.

Yep, that's what we do, except I microwave it for 9 or 10 seconds. 12 seconds would liquify too much of it.

But I am intrigued by the ability to keep it at room temp. Didn't know you could do that.

 

[Bilberry]

I don't eat butter anymore, but in my butter eating days I was the only one in the family that would stick it in the fridge after use. Everyone else liked to leave the butter out, on the counter. I didn't like the mess it could create.

 

[Music City Mama]

This is an eyeopener for me - I've never heard of anyone not refrigerating butter! I've often wondered about the tubs of butter at restaurants that aren't refrigerated. Guess they're safe to eat.

Ditto! I've never heard of such a thing. In all of my years spending the night at friends' houses, living with roommates, having boyfriends, etc., I don't think I've ever seen this. Maybe because it was so humid in FL? I just asked my DH who is from AR and he said his grandparents kept it on the counter, but that's all he has ever seen do it. I just feel so naive! I just figured if they sell it in the refrigerated section, it should be refrigerated, but I stand corrected.

I will soften stick butter in the microwave before making cookies, etc., but we buy spreadable or whipped butter (not margarine) in a tub.

 

[bellebud]

we leave it on the counter for the last few years, since my step mom told me she always did it. In the summer sometime, I do have to put it in the fridge, but other than that, covered butter dish on the counter. we go through it pretty quickly though... it's not like it's sitting there for weeks.

 

[DebbieB]

I keep mine in the fridge. I just looked at it, my butter says "refrigerate for quality", my margarine says "must be refrigerated". They are in the refrigerator case at the store.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

We keep our butter in the fridge, when we want to use it to butter bread, bagels or toast, we pop it into the microwave for a few seconds.
Working in a supermarket, where butter is kept cold always, and there are temperature standards where butter must be discarded if it's gets below that temp, we always figured it was safer to refrigerate and keep the bacteria away.
Margarine can be kept safely out of refrigeration, and believe it or not, eggs too can be kept on the floor (err, counter) longer than butter before it is considered to be at a dangerous temperature

 

[dawson5]

we leave ours out. My mother just gave me a French butter keeper. I haven't put it to use yet, but I do like the idea behind it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_butter_dish

The one pictured on that page is not mine but the same principle, uses water.

 

[MushyMushy]

We keep it refrigerated, and if we are going to use it to spread on anything, I microwave it for 12 seconds, and its perfectly soft. Then it goes back in the fridge.

That's what I do. In fact, I tend to toss butter that's been left out over night or longer. I might rethink that habit. I thought butter had to be refrigerated.

Life's too short to eat fake butter!

AMEN!

 

[Katieinwonderland]

This is an ongoing debate in our house too! I grew up in England and we never refrigerated the butter or the eggs, so I put them in the pantry. DH grew up in NY and puts everything in the fridge, including bizarre stuff like coffee grounds. When we first moved in together, things went backwards and forwards between the pantry and the fridge constantly before I convinced him he wouldn't die of food poisoning.

 

[fraggle551]

Yep, that's what we do, except I microwave it for 9 or 10 seconds. 12 seconds would liquify too much of it.

But I am intrigued by the ability to keep it at room temp. Didn't know you could do that.

Yeah I think it depends on the microwave. My boyfriend's micro is 8 seconds and my grandparents is 15! It's a perfect science

 

[deedeetoo]

I also have never heard of not refrigerating butter.

I just looked at our butter. This is Land O Lakes salted butter. The package says "Keep Refrigerated."

 

[Tweevil]

The quarters go in the fridge until I need to fill up the Butter Bell. Once it is in there it stays on the counter. The bit of water in the bottom of the vessel keeps it fresh and nice and soft.