I am in the process of switching from margarine to butter. The problem I have is that even spreadable butter is hard when it comes out of the fridge. Can you store butter out of the fridge, in a covered butter dish or something? I think I remember my mom storing it on the counter...

By Pamt on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 08:49 am:

I usually set it out 30-60 minutes before using it so it can soften, but it goes back in the frig after use. It can get rancid and spoil, so I would store it in the frig.

By Kaye on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 08:53 am:

I think you are supposed to store it in the fridge, but I leave my out in a dish on the counter. Only for a day or so though. We haven't died from it yet

By Hol on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 09:03 am:

I just found the most WONDERFUL invention. I got it from Amazon. It is a covered butter dish with a double layered bottom. You put cold water in the bottom dish, then set the insert in it, and put the stick of butter in the insert. Then you cover it with the cover. You can leave it out on the counter 24/7 as long as you change the water once a day with COLD water. The only time I don't do this is the extreme heat of the summer. Then I keep it in the fridge. You don't have to leave it out long in the summer before it is spreadable anyway.

My Grandma always left hers out on the counter. It never got rancid.

We prefer butter to margarine, too. I was afraid of it at first because my DH has had coronary surgery and has to be on a lowfat diet. However, I have the book that was written by those surgeons on Oprah, "YOU - The Owners Manual". They say that butter is natural and therefore recognizable by the body. Margarine isn't.

I would imagine that you can get those butter dishes from Crate and Barrel, Lechters, or Williams-Sonoma, too.

By Hol on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 09:06 am:

It is called the Blue Vine Butter Boat and it is from Cook Street, Inc. I ordered it from Amazon.

By Ginny~moderator on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 09:07 am:

I leave it out 24/7 in a covered butter dish except in the hottest weather. I've never had it go rancid - maybe we use it up too fast. I agree, I strongly dislike hard butter/margarine/whatever.

By Colette on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 09:18 am:

I leave it in a covered butter dish in my pantry. I've never had a problem with it being rancid.

By Tripletmom on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 09:24 am:

I leave it covered in a butter dish on the counter 24/7 also.

By Hol on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 09:33 am:

I just looked for the Cook Street butter boat on Amazon. It is no longer carried there, but you can get it on at qvc.com for 19.95 plus shipping. They also have like four or five designs to choose from

By Pamt on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 10:05 am:

Yeah, all of you Yanks can leave it out on the counter, huh? (except Kaye) LOL

By Tink on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 10:12 am:

I leave it out on the counter in a covered dish for about eight months out of the year. June-September is just too hot here to not have it turn into a grease puddle on my countertop.

By Trina~moderator on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 10:16 am:

Pam, this Yank stores butter in the frig. LOL!

By My2girlygirls on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 05:34 pm:

Thanks ladies! I'm going to try and find the dish you're talking about Hol! I also am reading the book by Dr. Oz who was on the Oprah show. I am just trying to make healthier choices.

By Kaye on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 06:20 pm:

LOL Pam, I started doing that when I lived in Ohio...I keep my house pretty cool though

By Annie2 on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 10:36 pm:

I only use real butter, for cooking and spreads. I rather use a little bit of the real thing. I leave it out in a covered dish.
I grew up in MA without central air. My parents and grandparents always kept the butter this way.
If the stick is eaten in a short period of time, then it will not go rancid.

By Yjja123 on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 11:07 pm:

I grew up in NY and we always put butter in the fridge. I still do.

By Dandjmom on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 02:32 pm:

I keep mines in the fridge, but I have found that the butter that comes in the bowls is very spreadable ( more then the stick), country Crock brand is the best for spreading, they even have one that says spreadable butter. but when I'm baking bread I usually sit it out as I'm cooking. to get the chill off of it. but for foods like corn on the cob and potatoes I use spray.

By Hol on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 02:32 pm:

Sarah - I just ordered another one yesterday from QVC. It got the "Fruit Vine" design. It looks really pretty. It was, as I said, $19.95, plus I believe, about $5.00 for shipping.

By Dandjmom on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 02:34 pm:

I keep mines in the fridge, but I have found that the butter that comes in the bowls is very spreadable ( more then the stick), country Crock brand is the best for spreading, they even have one that says spreadable butter. but when I'm baking bread I usually sit it out as I'm cooking. to get the chill off of it. but for foods like corn on the cob and potatoes I use spray.

By Bea on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 03:25 pm:

I keep mine in a covered butter server on the counter. I have never had any rancid butter in the thirty years I've done this. We live in Virginia where the summers can get pretty hot. I've had the butter get very soft, and it still has tasted as fresh as any straight from my refrigerator. I started doing this after we lived in Europe where they never refrigerate butter and leave cream out also.

By Pandamamaoo4 on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 03:40 pm:

All this talk about a butter boat makes me hungry, I'm going to go make some cornbread to go with our chili. MMMM that sounds good. I went to qvc.com and looked at the boat. Got one coming our way, I got the blue one. We usually get the spreadable but I've been wanting to do the butter thing. Now I can and I can leave it OUT!

By Tunnia on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 09:11 pm:

I have one of those butter boat things. My mil gave it to me for Christmas last year and I haven't even taken it out of the box yet. I've been skeptical about whether or not it would really keep the butter spreadably soft while keeping it safe to eat in the southern heat. Maybe I'll have to get it out and give it a try. Mine is white with blue vines.

By Cat on Thursday, October 26, 2006 - 08:40 am:

Okay, this Yankee has NEVER left butter on the counter (neither did my mom or grandmother). I do think my mil does, though. She's in Raleigh and it get REALLY hot there at times! I perfer spreadable margerine, only using butter in things like potatoes and baking that says only butter. That's just me, though.

By Bemerry84 on Thursday, October 26, 2006 - 09:40 am:

For everyone that likes their butter spreadable. Land-O-Lakes makes a spreadable butter with canola oil, in regular and light, and it is very good. This is what we use daily and the stick butter I keep in the fridge and use for cooking. My parents still leave their butter out in a glass dish with a cover year round and have always done this.

By Wandilu on Thursday, October 26, 2006 - 10:35 pm:

I keep my butter/margarine in the fridge...at Shoney's,O'Charleys,Captain D'S,Applebee's...

By Marcia on Thursday, October 26, 2006 - 11:25 pm:

I leave mine out all year, unless it's so hot it starts to melt.

By Kate on Thursday, October 26, 2006 - 11:28 pm:

I grew up in NY with it out 24/7. I make buttercream frosting a lot, and save the leftovers for at least two weeks at a time and it's fine. I do store butter in the fridge in general, but I wonder why....my mom has lived 70 years with her room temp butter...and it IS a pain to have rock hard butter!!