There are few ingredients more versatile or invaluable than plain old butter. Butter makes meals flavorful and provides essential fats to our diets. But can you freeze butter and store it for long-term use?
Knowing the answer to that question can determine whether your meals are tasty all year long. We built this guide to give you a response to the question of how to store butter and if butter freezes well. We provide quick tips on how to prepare butter for freezing as well as how to freeze butter for the long haul.
You’ll also get a time-tested method of thawing your butter out that won’t leave it damaged or freezer-burned in any way. And, we share our favorite recipe with frozen butter. You’ll love the flexibility that freezing butter allows you to have.
Can Butter be Frozen?
Freezing is an excellent way to preserve foods you buy on sale or if you have a larger than expected produce harvest. You can freeze almost anything, but the methods vary a little depending on what you want to store. It’s one of the best ways to preserve fresh milk and for storing cheese.
The way to freeze peaches is a little different than freezing cottage cheese or the best way to freeze eggs for later consumption. Freezing is usually the best option for food storage.
When you set out to answer the question, “Can you freeze butter?” you need to have a freezing butter process, just as you need to know how to freeze a gallon of milk or discover the best way to freeze sour cream to use in your favorite recipes later on down the road.
Having tried-and-true preparation, freezing, and thawing methods will ensure that your time spent preserving your butter or freezing potato salad doesn’t go to waste. When you’re familiar with the freezing steps and have the process down, you can protect your butter without worrying about damaging it.
How to Freeze Butter
This section goes over the freezing butter process from start to finish. We show you the best way to prepare your butter for the freezer so that it can take the chill without getting freezer burn.
You’ll also get our preferred method on how to freeze butter that is easy and no-fuss. And, we close out the section by walking you through the thawing procedure. Before long, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without frozen butter.
Preparing Butter for Freezing
When shopping for butter that you plan to freeze, try to use fresh butter with a far-off sell-by date. Butter needs adequate protection before you place it in the freezer.
Butter and other foods are not immune to freezer burn, unfortunately, which is why you need to know how to tell if butter and a variety of frozen items are bad before consuming them.
To ensure that your butter is ready to take on freezing temperatures and come out the other side tasting and looking its best, always ensure that you’ve packaged it properly.
The beautiful thing about freezing butter is that you don’t need to repackage it. The packaging in which you bought it from the grocery store should be excellent for the freezer, especially if butter is in aluminum foil.
You should still place your butter containers in plastic wrap to give them extra protection. Place the packaged butter inside freezer bags or other freezer containers, and layer them on a cookie sheet.
Freezing and Thawing Butter
Once you’ve got the butter in airtight containers, you’re ready to put it away for a rainy day. Mark the date and store the fresh butter in the corner of the freezer near the ice cube trays.
It’s also essential to ask, “How long does frozen butter last?” The answer will help you answer a related question, “Does cream cheese freeze well or can I freeze goat cheese to use later?”
After it freezes, salted butter can last for up to a year in freezer storage without going bad. Unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life of about three months frozen before starting to turn. Keeping an eye on the dates that you package them will ensure that all your frozen goods are used before they spoil.
To thaw your butter, you need to take things slowly and carefully. If you let your butter come back to room temperature too quickly, you can damage it and cause it to turn rancid. Plan ahead, and place any frozen butter you wish to thaw in the refrigerator at least a day before you intend to use it.
The fridge allows the butter to soften over a more extended period and won’t harm it. Use this gentle thawing method to answer the question, “Can you freeze cheese slices?” as well.
Can you freeze fresh mozzarella or shredded cheese? This method will keep both frozen cheese and butter in top shape. If you’re in too much of a hurry, you can always grate out a few strips of frozen butter using a cheese grater.
Did you know you can also store eggs in the freezer? After separating the yolks and eggs, store well-wrapped yolks in the freezer to use in egg salad or deviled eggs at a later date. We don’t recommend freezing the egg whites because they turn rubbery after freezing.
Why Freezing Butter is Worth the Effort
You’ll be spending some time and money to get your butter into the freezer for long-term storage. It’s natural to want to ensure that your hard work pays off. So, what makes butter worth preserving? Are there features of butter that make all of your sweat and labor worthwhile and a valuable investment?
This section will answer that question and continue to answer the other big question, “Can you freeze butter?” You’ll get familiar with the many health benefits that regular butter consumption brings. And, you’ll also get a fantastic recipe for a delicious meal made with frozen butter that will leave your family clamoring for more.
Health Benefits of Butter
If you haven’t paid much attention to health trends, you might still think of butter as a dangerous fat that only tastes good because of how bad it is for you. That’s old-fashioned thinking. Modern medicine recognizes butter as a healthy part of your diet.
When taken in moderation, daily butter intake gives you a high number of calories and a store of energy you can use throughout the day. Butter also contains tons of nutrients. It has large amounts of butyrate, a proven anti-inflammatory agent, and treatment against Crohn’s disease.
Butter has lots of dairy trans fats, too. Dairy trans fats are unlike processed food trans fats and are considered beneficial. Butter is also full of vitamins, including Vitamins A, D, E, K2, and B12. It’s a smart and healthy part of your daily regimen.
Unforgettable Flavor
Butter is a boon in many ways. But, most of us would say that the most memorable aspect of butter is its incredible flavor. Nothing else tastes like butter, and it is the cornerstone of many dishes, including pie crusts, pastries, bread, and countless main courses.
If a recipe calls for shortening or another oil, you can substitute butter to add a burst of delicious taste. Our favorite use for frozen butter is in this fabulous recipe for a traditional English butter pie. In this dish, the butter shines like gold.
Peel four pounds of potatoes, and slice them into thin pieces. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and parboil the potatoes in it for about three minutes. Drain the water.
Sauté the garlic and onions in butter until soft. Place alternating layers of potato and onion mixture in a 3-quart baking dish, and give each layer a dusting of salt and pepper.
Stir half of the cream, all of the milk, and ¼ cup melted butter into the flour to create a paste. Pour the milk paste over the top of the potato and onion layers. Roll the pie crust over the top of the dish, and cut several slits in it as vents. Top with the remaining cream — bake for 60 minutes or so at 350°F.
We hope you had a great time looking over our butter freezing guide. Knowing how to freeze butter makes your life a little easier, and your dishes taste delicious. Our guide helps you find the perfect butter freezing technique and sets you up for a creamy and delightful life of frozen butter and tasty meals.
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