According to the USDA, butter is safe at room temperature. But if it's left out for several days at room temperature, it can turn rancid causing off flavors. The USDA does not recommend leaving it out more than one to two days.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends leaving butter at room temperature no more than two days. After that period of time, the butter can turn rancid. This will cause off flavors and unpleasant texture. However, if you follow the butter storage tips above, butter can stay fresh up to two weeks on the counter.
Unsalted, whipped or raw, unpasteurized butter is best kept in the fridge to minimize the chances of bacterial growth ( 4 ). Salted butter does not need to be stored in the fridge since the risk of bacterial growth is so low.
Dairy Australia advises: Always check the use-by date, to ensure natural freshness and quality. Butter is best kept refrigerated at 4˚C, protected from light and sealed in its original container or wrapping until it is used as it readily absorbs odours from other foods.
Here's the scoop on how long butter will keep in the fridge and freezer. According to the USDA, butter (opened or unopened) can be kept in the refrigerator for one to three months. It can also be frozen for up to a year.
“If you lived in Norway you could probably get away with it as the temperatures don't really get high enough to cause it to stink or melt, but in Australia, you can only leave it out for around 2-3 days in summer and 5-7 days in winter.
How long can butter be left out of the fridge? In Australia you can only leave butter out for around 2-3 days in summer and 5-7 days in winter. After then it will go rancid, and you'll immediately be able to smell it in the air. One taste will confirm it.
Butter and margarine are safe at room temperature. However, if butter is left out at room temperature for several days, the flavor can turn rancid so it's best to leave out whatever you can use within a day or two.
It's fine to leave unsalted butter out on the counter for a few hours if you're planning to bake with it, but if you're going to leave any butter out at room temperature for an extended period of time, make it salted. That's because the salt in salted butter adds extra protection against any sort of bacterial growth.
Counter butter should always be stored in an airtight container, rather than left uncovered on a butter dish. Generally speaking, the butter will last on the counter for a few days.
“If the butter has only been on the counter at room temperature for a few hours or overnight and has maintained a temperature below 70°F, it should be just fine to place back in the fridge,” says Ryan.
You'll know if your butter has spoiled because it'll smell rancid. You might also see some discoloration and changes in texture. Mold is also another really good sign that your food has turned.
According to the USDA, butter is safe at room temperature. But if it's left out for several days at room temperature, it can turn rancid causing off flavors. The USDA does not recommend leaving it out more than one to two days.
For the shelf life of butter, follow that "sell by" or "best by" date you see on the cover. It's usually okay to still eat the butter a week beyond that date, but if you're thinking of eating it a month beyond that date, you'd have to store it correctly.
Discoloration is a sign of rancid butter. Good butter has an even yellow color from inside out. Slice a small portion of your butter, if the inside looks brighter or lighter, then it has gone bad. Black spots on butter are signs of mold formation.
What happens when you eat expired/old butter? The first thing to do is, not panic as old butter cannot kill you or give you food poisoning. The worst that can happen is a stomach ache. Also, rancid butter can lower your vitamin E and vitamin B stores.
Refrigerated butter should last up to a month past the printed date if it's unopened. If the butter has been opened, it can last up to two weeks past that printed date. If you're storing the butter longer term, unopened butter stored in the freezer can last anywhere from nine months to a year past the date.
Left unwrapped, either salted or unsalted butter will keep in the refrigerator for at least 8 weeks. Salted butter, in fact, will last an additional 4 weeks, since salt acts as a preservative. Once you open the wrap, however, butter should be used with in 3 weeks.
Typically, butter will last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks but will keep at room temperature for up to two days if stored in an airtight container away from direct sunlight. In the freezer, butter will last for up to nine months.
Counter butter should always be stored in an airtight container, rather than left uncovered on a butter dish. Generally speaking, the butter will last on the counter for a few days.
Butter and margarine are safe at room temperature. However, if butter is left out at room temperature for several days, the flavor can turn rancid so it's best to leave out whatever you can use within a day or two.
“If the butter has only been on the counter at room temperature for a few hours or overnight and has maintained a temperature below 70°F, it should be just fine to place back in the fridge,” says Ryan.
If your pan is too hot—and this is true specifically if you're frying with butter—the milk solids in your butter will burn, and fast. A little brown butter is a good thing, but too hot and the solids will start to blacken and then you'll be in trouble.
Both salted and unsalted butter freeze very well. When freezing butter, keep it in its original carton and place it inside a resealable freezer storage bag to protect its delicate flavor.
Dairy products should be stored at 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5°C) or lower to avoid bacterial growth. If a dairy product is in a temperature higher than 41 degrees for 4 hours or more, it must be thrown out.