Why is it okay to leave butter at room temperature?

Question

If we can't leave our milk on the dining room table (even if we don't prefer warm milk), why is it okay to have butter dishes that never enter the refrigerator?

Milk spoils, why not butter?

Answer 1

Depends on what you'll be using it for. If you'll be baking with that butter than you don't want it soft and left out.
Now why it doesn't spoil, I'm sure, has something to do with the fat and how it is liquid in milk and needs to be kept liquid or it is no longer milk and to keep it from curdling and spoiling it must be kept cold.

Answer 2

I was amazed a few years ago when I visited a friend who kept butter on the kitchen counter. She explained that as long as it's kept covered, like in a butter dish with a lid that sits on top of it, it will be fine. I've been doing this for 7 or 8 years now with no problem at all. The butter can get too soft if it;s in direct sunlight for a while, but it's never gone bad on me.

Answer 3

I've never known anyone to leave butter out on a table for an extended amount of time....never for more than the time of a meal and in that time milk would not spoil either.

Answer 4

It does spoil because it is a milk product. Refrigerate it when you are not using it and take it out about a half an hour or so before you need it again to soften it.
It does say keep refrigerated right on the package!!

Answer 5

I grew up with our coated butter dish on the table each and all of the time. i might do it now, yet my husband has an obsession with putting each and everything interior the refrigerator. So I in basic terms purchase the "butter spreads" that are available in tubs...they seem a lot extra spreadable quickly out of the refrigerator than the sticks I grew up with.

Answer 6

Depends a lot on your definition of "room temperature." At 80 degrees butter will go bad a lot faster than at 68 degrees.

In most climates, you can leave it on the counter for a few days to a few weeks without concern.

And at 90 degrees, it will melt first, then go rank.

Answer 7

you really can't leave either out for extended periods of time with out them going bad
you can only leave milk out and butter out long enough to use them..butter needs to soften up a little to use it as a spread on things....but if left out for a few days...just like milk ..throw it out...the fats in t will go bad..

good luck

Answer 8

cause it's always ready for anything, doesn't go bad, doesn't melt everywhere and when it's cold and comes time to make a piece of toast you cant spread it, that always sux.. plus i think it's something that we learn from our parnets...lol...=)

Answer 9

It should be fine due to the fact that it's been processed and such,although it will melt a little

Answer 10

probably due to the high salt and fat content, as everyone knows salt acts like a preservative