Where do you keep your butter?

[2535Miles]

I keep my butter in a dish, on the counter. I hate cold butter, especially when you try to spread it across toast or bread.

On a sidenote: I was disappointed I could not find a sniglet to describe what happens when you spread cold butter on bread and the butter clumps up or the bread you poke a hole in the bread.

[gus]

I keep my butter in a dish, on the counter. I hate cold butter, especially when you try to spread it across toast or bread.

On a sidenote: I was disappointed I could not find a sniglet to describe what happens when you spread cold butter on bread and the butter clumps up or the bread you poke a hole in the bread.

My sister-in-law always keeps the butter out. To me, it seems very unhygienic.

While living in Luxembourg, it took me a while to get used to buying eggs, as grocery stores tended to not keep them in refrigerated sections.

[billybreen]

In the fridge. It's the 21st century, people.

[Jfrosh]

I always have one box in the freezer ready to go, one box in the fridge for cooking and one stick covered in a tupperware container on the counter for spreading on bread.

[Indoor66]

I live alone so I keep my butter in the freezor 'cause it has to last, except for the stick in the butter bin in the fridg.

[hc5duke]

How about meats? I used to keep meats out overnight (then it goes in the fridge), because that's what we did at home. One day my roommate at the time threw out my chicken jambalaya because I had left it out overnight, I got mad at him. Then I find out apparently here you're not supposed to do that. I just think leaving meat out overnight made my stomach stronger :D

[DevilAlumna]

This poll needs to be multiple choice - I both keep my butter in the fridge (I use it for cooking/baking), and use a 'spread' for my toast. (Which I also keep in the fridge.)

Kudos for using that 80's term, sniglet.

[2535Miles]

I should clarify that I'm talking about the stick of butter you're keeping around for daily use. I keep the reserve sticks in the fridge and one on the counter in a butter dish.


Kudos for using that 80's term, sniglet.
http://bertc.com/subfour/truth/sniglets.htm Enjoy!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I keep our tub of "I can't believe it's not butter" in the butter section of the fridge. The extra tubs are in the freezer waiting their turn to thaw!

[bjornolf]

There's an awesome little butter dish. It's made by Cook Street, Inc. and it's called the Butter Boat by them. It's an attractive little ceramic piece that comes in a couple sizes and several colors and patterns. You put cold water in the outer dish, then you put an inner dish in it with the butter in it and put the lid on it. It keeps your butter fine on the counter for a couple weeks, and it's nice and soft for spreading. They're awesome, and they even come in a smaller size for those that don't use a lot. We love it, as do my parents and several others.

[CathyCA]

Gross! You all would keep your butter out of the fridge? It's a dairy product. Won't it go bad without refrigeration?

Keep it in the fridge, and if you need to soften it up, put it in the mircowave for a few seconds.

[summerwind03]

I've heard of those butter dishes for the counter. I'm not sure I'm responsible enough to change the water regularly though.

Has anyone else tried the butter that has canola oil mixed in? The taste is fine (much better than margarine or those spreads) and it's always just the right consistency!

[hudlow]

I remember as a kid the butter we were using stayed on the kitchen table in a glass butter dish. As long as it was covered it was OK. The rest was kept in the fridge until the dish needed a refill.

Restaurants used to keep butter in single servings out on the table all the time

Butter is a dairy product, but by the time it becomes butter there's not much dairy left in it.

[2535Miles]

Gross! You all would keep your butter out of the fridge? It's a dairy product. Won't it go bad without refrigeration?

Keep it in the fridge, and if you need to soften it up, put it in the mircowave for a few seconds.
I suppose it depends on the environmental factors but my butter has never gone bad outside of the fridge.

I am also proud to say that I do not own a microwave. Microwaves are evil.

[hc5duke]

I am also proud to say that I do not own a microwave. Microwaves are evil.

and how are things there in the 1950s?

[2535Miles]

and how are things there in the 1950s?
Tasting much better than Hot Pockets and your over-salted fried chicken. ;)

[hc5duke]

Tasting much better than Hot Pockets and your over-salted fried chicken. ;)

I'm seriously wondering how do you reheat leftovers... oven?

[billybreen]

I'm seriously wondering how do you reheat leftovers... oven?

A fire. A fire which he makes himself by rubbing sticks together rapidly. Old school.

[2535Miles]

I'm seriously wondering how do you reheat leftovers... oven?
I vacuum seal leftovers which lends itself to boiling leftovers in the bag (soups, stews, etc.), or I'll pan fry the food. I rarely reheat food in the oven. It all depends on what I'm cooking.


A fire. A fire which he makes himself by rubbing sticks together rapidly. Old school.
I prefer chimney starters.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9c/Chimney_starter_in_Smokey_Joe.jpg/180px-Chimney_starter_in_Smokey_Joe.jpg

[hc5duke]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9c/Chimney_starter_in_Smokey_Joe.jpg/180px-Chimney_starter_in_Smokey_Joe.jpg

Chimney starter = awesome. I have one too, and I get all snobby when people use lighter fluid:)

[2535Miles]

Chimney starter = awesome. I have one too, and I get all snobby when people use lighter fluid:)
As you should! Lighter fluid is weak.

[mph]

Love, love, love my chimney starter.

I cam from a butter-in-the-fridge family, so I kept the butter in the fridge. Then I married a woman from a butter-on-the-counter family. I'll let you guess where we keep our butter now.

[YmoBeThere]

I keep some butter on the counter and the rest in the fridge. If the butter is for cooking, I grab the fridge butter. If it is to be spread on bread or put on my Blueberry Eggo waffles, then I get it from the counter. I don't keep much on the counter as I don't use that much butter and it does go bad after awhile...

[wilson]

Chimney starter = awesome. I have one too, and I get all snobby when people use lighter fluid:)

Seconded. Let's not even get into how terrible gas grills are.

[2535Miles]

My sister-in-law always keeps the butter out. To me, it seems very unhygienic.

While living in Luxembourg, it took me a while to get used to buying eggs, as grocery stores tended to not keep them in refrigerated sections.
Does your sister-in-law store the butter next to used tooth brushed, or behind the cat's litter box? :p Seriously, I don't see the big deal. Butter existed long before refrigeration and we seemed to have made it this far without any serious incidences. Maybe the salt in the butter helps to preserver it.


How about meats? I used to keep meats out overnight (then it goes in the fridge), because that's what we did at home. One day my roommate at the time threw out my chicken jambalaya because I had left it out overnight, I got mad at him. Then I find out apparently here you're not supposed to do that. I just think leaving meat out overnight made my stomach stronger :D
Meat is a tad bit sketchier than butter. I mean, I've never heard of a case of salmonella or trichinosis related to rancid butter so I take a little more caution with meat. However, I have no qualms with letting raw meat sit out for a few hours as long as it's covered. In fact, I usually bring my meat up to room temperature before grilling.

Either way, your stomach rules!

[2535Miles]

Love, love, love my chimney starter.

I cam from a butter-in-the-fridge family, so I kept the butter in the fridge. Then I married a woman from a butter-on-the-counter family. I'll let you guess where we keep our butter now.
So how is that butter-on-the-counter treating you? :D

[mph]

So how is that butter-on-the-counter treating you? :D

I've had food poisoning 8 times in 12 years! :D

[2535Miles]

I've had food poisoning 8 times in 12 years! :D
You need a new private chef mate! :p

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I guess no one here goes to a Williams-Sonoma or Crate & Barrel very often.

Get yourself a butter bell. Room temperature butter stays good for weeks w/o a refrigerator.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Seconded. Let's not even get into how terrible gas grills are.

Hey now, gas grills aren't all bad. ;) Since my better half doesn't like the idea of a smoker on our deck, I've found the gas grill works well as a substitute in certain situations. It's easy to maintain a constant low temp for indirect heat slow cooking of ribs, roasts and the like. Throw a smoker box full of wood over one of the burners and you're good to go.

[Jarhead]

Mine comes in a spray bottle. So easy for a slice of cinnamon toast, or corn on the cob. I just can't believe it's not butter.

[billybreen]

Hey now, gas grills aren't all bad. ;) Since my better half doesn't like the idea of a smoker on our deck, I've found the gas grill works well as a substitute in certain situations. It's easy to maintain a constant low temp for indirect heat slow cooking of ribs, roasts and the like. Throw a smoker box full of wood over one of the burners and you're good to go.

Heck, even Alton Brown acknowledges that gas grills have their place in the arsenal.

[Lavabe]

Heck, even Alton Brown acknowledges that gas grills have their place in the arsenal.

Even Bobby Flay uses one.:rolleyes:

I really liked the old Grillin' & Chillin' show he used to do.

[DukieInKansas]

One stick of butter in a butter dish on the counter, the rest of the box in the fridge, and any extra boxes in the freezer. I don't use butter a ton, so I occassionally have to toss the last tablespoon or so from the butter dish and start over with a new stick.