Can you use expired butter?

Butter has a long shelf life compared to other dairy products, thanks to its high fat content. But, like other dairy products, butter also has an expiration date. However, just because the printed date is past doesn’t always mean the butter is bad.

Can you use expired butter?

You can use butter past the printed date as long as you have stored it correctly. You can use unopened butter within 2-3 months from the date on the package and within 1-2 months if you have already opened it. 

Read on to find out how to store butter correctly, how long it lasts, what are the signs that butter is bad, and what happens when you eat expired butter.

Does the butter go bad?

Butter is one of the most widely used dairy products. We all know that dairy-containing foods are highly perishable. However, butter has a fairly long shelf life.

The reason butter lasts longer than other dairy products is that it contains less lactose.

The high amount of lactose is what makes most dairy products, such as milk and cream, spoil quickly. This is precisely why lactose-free milk has a longer shelf life compared to regular milk.

Butter is mostly fat. And fat doesn’t go bad easily. It oxidizes, which makes the butter rancid. In fact, oxidation is more common in butter than bacterial growth, which causes most foods to spoil.

Despite the low risk of bacterial contamination and its long shelf life, butter goes bad pretty quickly if you don’t store it properly.

Regardless of the dates printed on the butter’s packaging, it is the storage conditions that ultimately decide its shelf life.

So if you’re always diligent about wrapping your butter in foil and it’s only been a few weeks past the expiration date, you should be fine to grab that butter knife and get chopping.

Does spray butter expire?

Spray butter, like other cooking sprays, also has an expiration date. It is recommended to use spray butter within 12 months for the best quality.

Cooking sprays can keep well for longer if you store them properly, i.e. in a cool, dark place.

As the spray begins to deteriorate, you will begin to notice changes in taste, odor, and consistency. You should also throw away the spray butter if the canister is leaking, rusted, or has dents.

A bulging can is another sign that you need to dispose of the spray butter immediately.

How to store butter

The best way to preserve butter is in the refrigerator. Butter usually comes in an aluminum foil container that protects it from light and air. Tightly wrapped butter in its original foil packaging is also well protected against odours.

If the original container is damaged, be sure to use more aluminum foil to wrap the butter. You can store a small brick of butter in a butter dish for convenient use.

An important point is that you should store the butter on the refrigerator shelves and not on the door.

Most people keep butter in the fridge door, as it is small and fits in there perfectly. However, it is recommended to store the butter at the far end of the refrigerator so that the temperature is stable.

You probably open the fridge several times a day. And when you don’t know what to eat, you can even leave the door open for a while.

This causes temperature fluctuations, which cause products stored in the refrigerator door to deteriorate more quickly.

Can you store butter in the freezer?

Storing butter in the freezer is a good idea, as butter not only freezes well, but it’s easy to thaw and use.

To freeze the butter, wrap it tightly in a layer of aluminum foil. For added protection against freezer burn and odor absorption, place the foil-wrapped butter in a heavy-duty zip-top bag. You can also use transparent paper to wrap it.

When you need to use the frozen butter, move it from the freezer to the fridge. The butter will thaw in 7 hours.

If you need to soften the butter quickly, you can submerge the plastic-wrapped butter in water or microwave it for a few seconds to soften instantly.

A good way to treat frozen butter, especially for cooking, is to grate it with a cheese grater.

Does butter go bad if it’s not refrigerated?

One of the most annoying things for every cook is when they are going to bake but the butter is hard.

In these cases, you either need to take it out of the fridge ahead of time to soften it, or spend time softening it using alternative methods, such as a warm water bath.

To avoid having to deal with butter that is too hard, many people choose to leave it at room temperature. And butter also keeps well at room temperature.

This is not surprising, since commercially manufactured butter is 80% fat and only 15% water.

To keep butter at room temperature, follow a few simple rules: 

• Keep a small amount of butter at room temperature and store the rest in the fridge.
• Store the butter in an airtight container. The less contact it has with the air, the better it will be preserved. It is good to store butter in a dark container or kitchen cabinet.
• Store butter away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
• Don’t store butter at room temperature if it’s too hot where you live. Storing butter on the counter is not recommended if the temperature is above 77°F.

Salted butter keeps even better at room temperature, as the salt reduces the water content of the butter and further prevents bacterial growth.

How long does butter last?

According to the USDA, the shelf life of butter stored in the refrigerator is 1-3 months, whether it has been opened or not.

However, the expiration date printed on the packaging of the different foods is the manufacturer’s estimate of the time that the product will maintain its best qualities of flavor and texture.

Butter stored in the freezer before the printed date will keep well for about 4 months. If the temperature in the freezer is stable, the butter will keep well for longer.

However, as it is stored in the freezer, its quality will begin to deteriorate. The butter will gradually lose its freshness and flavor.

As for butter left on the counter, it should be used up within 1-2 days, as higher temperatures make butter go rancid pretty quickly. The more salt there is, the longer the butter will stay fresh at room temperature.

How long does butter keep after the expiration date?

If you store butter in the fridge properly, it will stay good to eat for 2-3 months after the expiration date, if left unopened. An opened packet of butter stored in the refrigerator can be consumed 1-2 months after the printed date.

When using expired butter, look closely for signs of spoilage.

Signs that butter has gone bad

You can tell if butter is bad by smelling it. The smell of rancid butter is quite unpleasant and can be easily determined. Bad butter also undergoes texture changes. It may be too hard or too soft.

You can also tell if butter is bad by looking at its color. Discoloration and darkening are common signs of expired butter.

Cut the butter to see the color changes. If the sides appear darker than the inside, the butter is quite old and unfit to eat.

When you’re not sure if butter is good or not just by looking and touching it, do a taste test.

If there are no visible signs of spoilage, eating a small amount of butter is the only way to determine if it’s still good or not. Bad butter has a sour taste that gives it away.

On rare occasions, butter not only goes rancid, but also moldy. You should discard the butter immediately if you see black spots on it that are a sign of mold.

What happens if you eat expired butter?

If you’ve eaten butter without checking the expiration date, don’t panic. If the butter had no visible signs of spoilage and tasted okay for you to eat, it was probably still okay.

Eating butter that has gone rancid won’t cause any health problems either, unless it’s been contaminated by bad bacteria, although some studies claim that rancid butter can lower your levels of vitamins B and E.

Can expired butter make you sick?

It is highly unlikely that you will get sick from eating butter that has been stored properly but is past its expiration date, as butter is still safe to eat for a few months after the date printed on it.

Even butter that has gone rancid isn’t likely to make you sick. If you are someone with a sensitive stomach, you may experience discomfort and discomfort that will soon go away.