When do you use salted butter and when do you use unsalted butter?

Answer 1

Butter comes two ways: salted and unsalted. Salt is added to butter for flavor and as a preservative so it will have a longer shelf life. Salt, however, can sometimes overpower the sweet flavor of the butter and can also mask odors. Additionally, the amount of salt added to salted butter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so it's hard to know how much extra salt you're adding to a recipe. Using unsalted butter allows the chef to control the amount of salt in a recipe.

If you have no choice but to use salted butter in a recipe, the rule of thumb is to omit about 1/4 teaspoon salt per 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter.

Unsalted butter has a short shelf life because it contains no preservatives. If you buy unsalted butter and do not use it right away, it is best to freeze it. If properly wrapped so it won't pick up any odors, butter can be frozen for around six months. Just remember to defrost the butter overnight in the refrigerator before using it.


Also, I have had no problem with freezing salted butter.

Answer 2

I use salted butter unless the recipe specifically calls for unsalted butter and then I might use salted butter anyway. I think it's ridiculous for a recipe to call for unsalted butter then tell you to add salt. Anyway, no more of my rant. Unsalted butter is usually used in cakes, pastries, and icings.

Answer 3

I almost always use unsalted butter. The main reason is because you want to be able to control the salt content in whatever you're cooking. Sure there's not a lot of salt in salted butter.. but it can make a difference if you don't want any salt in whatever you're making.

Answer 4

I use UNSALTED all the time. This way I have 100% control over how salty anything I make it.
In recipes you mostly see unsalted in Baking. Also I just have to buy & keep up with 1 kind of butter, they are the same price.

Answer 5

Unsalted is great for baking. And you can also use it in any thing that calls for butter...it helps you control how much salt your actually taking in

Answer 6

Hi...I'll be honest, when a recipe calls for unsalted butter, I never have it. I just don't buy it so I use regular salted butter all the time. I never use margarine. My baked goods always turn out great. I have never noticed anything being too "salty".

Answer 7

Salted butter...Never. Unsalted butter is a fresher product. It's quality is evidenced by it's lack of salt. As a preservative, salt is usually added to older product to mask it's lack of freshness.

You know when you do or don't want salt in your food. Go fresh and handle it!

Answer 8

You can't freeze salted butter, but, unsalted butter freezes fine. So, I keep unsalted butter frozen as larder and use fresh salted butter daily.

Answer 9

salted butter use in things that you would salt anyway, unsalted for candies , cookies, cakes and when ever a recipe says so.

Answer 10

I have used salted for every thing. no salt butter though lets you monitor the salt intake