How long is it ok to leave butter at room temperature?

Question

My neighbor never refrigerated her butter and I'm wondering if I should do the same to improve spreadability. Is it ok to rerefrigerate it

Answer 1

i've left it out over night....and the edges started to get oily...DO NOT LEAVE IT OUT WHEN ITS HUMID!!!! It will melt like crazy!!! I'd say a few hours or a day...but no more than that or else it will be TOO soft...you could also buy ones that say "spreadable" on the front...

Answer 2

you can leave it for weeks.

My suggestion is to get a butter bell. It's a little ceramic jar that you put water in, the "bell" is actually in the lid, and you put your butter in that. The lid is place in the cup of water, so that the butter is submerged. When it's like that, a little air bubble forms so the butter itself doesn't get wet, but it will keep more air from getting to it, and making it spoil.

http://www.butterbell.com/

Answer 3

halfbloo is sooooo right  i never refrigerate butter,  I have been out of town and come home to butter that has been out for 10 days and use it.  it does taste a little different after that long, but it doesn't stop me.  I have never noticed any change of flavor within a week or so....we use about a pound a week  (family  of 5)...

Answer 4

no more then an hour

Answer 5

Sanitation wise: it should be refrigerated or tossed with in 4 hours of no refrigeration.

Its ok to leave it on the counter as long as its used as soon as its soft (I soften my butter in the microwave to avoid the wait and risk of incubating food borne bacteria)

Reasons to store in the fridge:

-Butter contains whey protein that microbes find as yummy as we do.

-Butter is mostly fat.  It will go rancid if not stored properly.

Answer 6

It's a chance I would not take myself. I would not leave it out longer than 15 minutes, if even that!