How To Store Butter For Maximum Freshness

Whether you use butter on your morning toast or to make more involved recipes like buttermilk biscuits and sausage cream gravy, most home cooks and bakers like having stores of butter that are ready to use at all times. Especially if you're someone who tends to over-buy butter, you want to make sure this golden fat stays fresh until use. Fortunately, Chowhound was able to secure some worthwhile storage advice from a spokesperson for popular Irish butter brand, Kerrygold.

"If you'll be enjoying your butter within a month, keep it refrigerated," Kerrygold's spokesperson advises. For added assurance, don't store butter more than a week past its expiration date. For added freshness, once your butter has been opened, store the remains in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container away from the refrigerator door where temperatures tend to fluctuate. 

Additionally, the spokesperson for Kerrygold states, "For the freshest taste, we don't recommend leaving [your butter] at room temperature for more than four hours." Any longer may compromise your butter's savory flavor. While some experts claim butter may be left out for a day or two at room temperature, how it's stored coupled with the temperature of your home may ultimately degrade your butter's overall quality and taste. 

In that case, playing it safe and keeping butter refrigerated is your best bet. Or, if you want your butter to last as long as possible, use your freezer for the best results.

In terms of the definitive ranking of grocery store butter brands, Kerrygold clearly takes the cake for its bright yellow color and award-winning taste. Not to mention, with such an esteemed reputation, the Irish butter company knows best when it comes to proper storage protocols. While refrigeration might be your first option, freezing is a solid second, particular for extra packages of butter that require extended storage. "If you don't plan to use it within a month, freezing and then thawing the butter is a perfect option," Kerrygold's spokesperson says.

While most varieties of butter can be consumed from the freezer within a nine-month time frame, salted butter can last up to a year in your freezer when completely sealed and unopened. The added salt acts as a preservative, which slightly increases your butter's shelf life. However, if you happen to be storing whole packages of Kerrygold butter, whether salted or unsalted, you have a little more time. The brand's spokesperson states, "Kept frozen and properly sealed, Kerrygold Butter can stay fresh for up to a year." Conversely, if you're freezing butter that's been previously opened, wrap it in plastic wrap and store the remains in a marked, freezer-safe plastic bag or storage container.

When it comes to thawing, Kerrygold recommends moving your butter from the freezer to your refrigerator and allowing it to soften overnight before using. Yet, if you need some sooner to make confections like bakery-worthy blueberry pie, they suggest grating it. "If you're looking to thaw butter in a pinch, you can grate frozen butter through a cheese grater. This format is especially ideal for those looking to achieve those pea size butter crumbs when baking pie crusts and biscuits."