Best Method recommended method with best effort-to-efficacy tradeoff 1-3 months
Refrigerated
- Keep in coldest part of fridge, not the door door temperature fluctuates
- Keep tightly wrapped or in a covered dish butter readily absorbs fridge odors and flavors
- Store away from strong-smelling foods
- Salted butter keeps longer than unsalted salt slows spoilage and rancidity
Alternative another good method that's just different 1-3 days
Counter / Butter Dish
- Leave out only what you will use within a day or two flavor eventually goes off even though it stays safe
- Use a covered butter dish or crock protects from light, air, and contaminants
- Keep out of direct light and away from the stove
- Choose salted butter for counter storage salted stays fresh noticeably longer than unsalted
- Note: whipped and plant-based/vegan butters should stay refrigerated they are more perishable than regular dairy butter
Freezing freezing method 6-12 months
Frozen
- Keep in original wrapper and add an outer freezer bag double wrapping prevents freezer burn and odor absorption
- Freeze whole sticks or pre-portioned pieces
- Thaw in the refrigerator before use
Fun Facts
- Ghee is butter simmered until the water evaporates and the milk solids are removed, which is why it keeps far longer than regular butter at room temperature.
- The roughly 1.5-2% salt in salted butter inhibits bacterial growth, giving it a longer shelf life than unsalted butter.