Often butter is stored for future use, and in this case you need to be aware of how long the product is stored in the freezer. Despite the fact that most often it is kept in the refrigerator, sometimes you have to make do with camping conditions, for example, while traveling or in a remote village. Experienced housewives use some tricks that will allow them not to lose freshness even in the absence of kitchen appliances.
In GOST 32261-2013 “Butter. Specifications» you can find information about what quality the product should be, under what conditions it should be stored and transported. As stated in the document, shelf life varies depending on the composition, type of packaging and temperature.
Standard portioned pieces in foil packaging according to GOST are stored for up to 15 days at a temperature of 2 to 5 degrees above zero - such conditions are maintained by refrigerators. The product is stored wrapped in parchment for the same amount of time. As for the freezer, when the temperature drops to minus 18 degrees, the shelf life increases to 120 days, provided there is packaging made of foil, parchment or polymer materials.
Most housewives when asked about the ideal storage place butter They will answer absolutely correctly - this tasty and healthy dairy product should be kept in the refrigerator. However, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances:
Most often, the manufacturer uses foil as packaging for portioned bars. In this case, the purchase can be moved to the home refrigerator in the same form in which it was on the store shelf. This also applies to situations where the manufacturer has chosen parchment, a plastic box or other opaque container for packaging. Goods purchased in bulk, wrapped in plastic film, must be transferred to an oil can or wrapped in a suitable material.
When choosing an oiler, it is better to give preference to materials such as porcelain and stainless steel. If the container is made of plastic, then its walls will be permeable to the odors of surrounding products. In addition, it may be difficult to wash.
The basic requirements for a container for storing butter are as follows:
In a properly selected butter dish or container suitable for its characteristics, butter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks.
To delicate taste has not deteriorated, foil is perfect for packaging. A product wrapped in this material will not lose its properties for up to 20 days.
Paper is a breathable material, so the product will not suffocate. At the same time, the parchment will protect against weathering. For storage, the piece is wrapped in 2 layers. The quality will last up to 10 days.
An excellent characteristic of the product is that it tolerates freezing remarkably well. Big piece It is advisable to cut into portions - this way there will be no need to defrost completely in order to cut off the part required by volume. The butter is wrapped in several layers of parchment paper and then in cellophane. This will prevent aromas from being absorbed from nearby foods such as meat and fish.
The shelf life in the freezer is given in the table below.
If the oil sits for longer, it will negatively affect the taste characteristics.
At room temperature, butter will begin to deteriorate within two days. However, there are several ways to help maintain freshness a little longer.
The simplest and yet most effective method is to place a piece of butter in a bowl of cold water and place it in the coolest place in the house. The method works even in the warm season. There is another storage option using liquid. The product is placed in glass jar. Place it in a pan of water so that the liquid reaches the middle of the container. A cotton cloth, previously moistened and well wrung out, is placed on top of the jar. The ends of the flap should fall into the water.
To keep butter fresh you will need:
The piece is pre-cut into portions weighing 150-200 g, and each part is wrapped in parchment. For these purposes, baking paper is suitable, which every housewife can find. The cubes are placed in a pan or jar and filled with cool water with salt dissolved in it. The fluid must be changed daily. The method works better if you use oppression. This way the product will last up to three weeks.
Vinegar is an excellent preservative and will help extend shelf life at room temperature. To do this, you need to prepare a vinegar solution and pour it into a glass jar. Oil placed in such a liquid will last longer. For another method of storing a product using vinegar, you will need a cotton cloth. The flap is moistened in a solution prepared from water and table vinegar, after which it is wrapped in butter. The prepared product is placed in a pan or other container, sprinkled with sugar and covered with a lid.
When the fabric dries, it is necessary to re-moisten it with a vinegar solution.
If the butter begins to spoil, it is easy to notice. First of all, the color will change: the product will acquire a yellowish tint. Smell is another indicator of freshness. Spoiled oil smells damp. A stale product tastes bitter.
Substandard oil is dangerous for consumption because pathogenic microorganisms develop in it as a result of oxidation processes. If a spoiled product enters the human gastrointestinal tract, it can cause severe poisoning.
It is better to throw away rancid oil. However, there are situations when it becomes necessary to revive the product. There are several ways to help give spoiled oil a second life:
When storing, it is important to remember that the most destructive factors are high temperature and light. Accordingly, if you provide appropriate conditions and packaging that will protect against these risks, you can significantly extend the shelf life. Some tips and recommendations will help ensure long-term preservation:
Storing butter at home is not so difficult if you follow a number of nuances. The refrigerator is best suited for the product for every day; for long-term storage, the freezer is preferable. However, the oil will not go rancid even at room temperature if it is protected from light and high temperatures.
It would seem that this topic is not very relevant these days. After all, there are so many different types of butter on store shelves now that you don’t have to think about how to store this product, but buy it as needed.
But many thrifty housewives try to buy food, including butter, immediately after payday, as they say, while there is money. Or wholesale, which is much cheaper than buying one pack at retail.
Butter easily absorbs all foreign odors. This means that it needs to be isolated from other products. Foil or parchment paper works well for this purpose.
Sometimes there are situations when oil has to be stored at room temperature. What do you do in this case?
Festive video recipe:
These simple tips will help any housewife keep butter fresh and tasty.
Butter is a frequent guest in our kitchen. It is tasty and healthy if you choose a quality product and store it properly. To keep the oil fresh longer, it should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. But there are situations when this is not possible. In this case, you can also extend the life of the product if you know some secrets. Let's talk in more detail about each storage method.
The oil absorbs any odors very quickly. Therefore, during storage, it is important to ensure its isolation from other products, as well as reliable packaging. Foil or parchment paper works best for this.
Butter purchased in bulk is divided into portions and wrapped in parchment. In this form, at temperatures from 0 to +6 °C, it will retain its original taste for 7 days.
Oil packed in foil stays fresh longer, a little over 2 weeks. And it is advisable to refuse common cling films and plastic bags. The oil in such packaging quickly begins to suffocate, turn yellow, and become bitter.
Note: the shelf life of the oil can be extended by as much as 2 weeks if you repackage the product after 14 days. In this case, it is transferred to a washed butter dish or wrapped using new foil.
The butter, which is planned to be consumed in the next 2–4 days, is placed in a butter dish. There are certain requirements for this type of cookware:
It is worth keeping oil in the refrigerator, which will quickly be used in food. For longer storage, place it in the freezer.
Sandwich butter that tastes salty can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Salt inhibits the proliferation of bacteria that participate in the oxidation process.
All valuable qualities of the oil will be preserved for 1 year if the temperature in the freezer is within - 18 °C. At -12 °C the product shelf life is 9 months.
Unnatural oil with additives, the so-called spread, can be frozen for no more than 3 months.
To prevent the butter from spoiling in the freezer, it must be packaged into pieces, each of which should be wrapped in foil or parchment. You can additionally protect the product from foreign odors if you place the packaged pieces in a thick plastic bag and tie it tightly.
It happens, especially during a hike, a trip to the country, or when the refrigerator breaks down, that you need to keep the oil fresh. They will tell you what you can do people's councils. Butter will not spoil within 3 weeks if you use one of the suggested methods.
Take an enamel or glass container and place the oil in it. All that remains is to pour cold water and close the lid. The oil will not spoil for a very long time, provided that the water is replaced twice every day.
It prevents the growth of bacteria, so you can save oil by placing it in a container and filling it with salt water. The solution should be changed daily to avoid yellowing and rancid taste.
Complicated option. Cut the creamy product into pieces, wrap in foil or parchment. Take a pan in which to place the packed pieces. Prepare a solution of 1 liter of cold water and 20 g of salt, pour oil into it. Cover with a plate on top and place the press. Replace water once a day. Place the container with oil in a dark place.
You need to do the following: moisten a clean cloth in vinegar and wrap the creamy product in it. Place everything in the pan, and pay attention - be sure to leave a piece of sugar next to the bottom. Cover the dish with a lid.
Another vinegar-based method. Place the oil in a glass container, then add cold water and vinegar.
It so happened that they didn’t pay attention and left the butter on the table. As a result, under the influence of sunlight, it turned yellow on top. But all is not lost - the damaged piece can still be saved. In this situation, do this:
And finally, some tips on how to distinguish real oil from a surrogate:
Why is it worth buying domestic oil? We recommend watching this video.
Butter is a popular and useful product nutrition. It is used for frying vegetables and meat, making sandwiches, and adding to baked goods. This explains the interest in the shelf life of butter, the value of which depends on a number of factors. We'll talk about this in the article.
The shelf life and storage conditions of fat and oil products are stipulated by the current GOST 32261-2013 “Butter. Technical conditions". The shelf life of a product is determined by its type, technical characteristics of manufacture and storage mode.
Oil is divided into 2 types:
Each category additionally includes a salted and unsalted variety. The difference between them is in the initial components that are used in manufacturing. Sweet is made from pure cream, and sour is made with the addition of lactic acid bacteria.
The product is divided into 3 types according to the amount of milk fat in the composition:
Oil products are classified as perishable. Because of this, their storage duration is short. The shelf life of butter according to GOST, depending on packaging and temperature conditions, is indicated in the table:
Note:
The shelf life of butter produced during the grazing period, regardless of the type and quantity of milk fat packaged in foil, is 270 days. Provided that the standards are met temperature regime(not higher than -18 °C) and humidity (70-90%).
How long butter is stored in the refrigerator does not depend on the production method. Both home and factory products have the same terms, which are determined by packaging and storage location.
You can increase the storage time by placing the product on a shelf with the lowest temperature. It is forbidden to put it in the door, as there are constant changes in degrees due to its opening and closing.
Note to the hostess
There is no need to store the oil and fat product in a plastic bag. Such containers contribute to the loss of taste.
The best option is to choose an oiler made of porcelain and stainless metal. Plastic products are bad because they are difficult to clean and quickly absorb odors, which are difficult to deal with.
A freezer with a temperature of -24 to -18 °C is optimal.
How long butter is stored in the freezer depends on its type:
Tip of the day
Due to the fact that natural butter freezes at sub-zero temperatures, before sending it to the freezer, it is necessary to divide it into portions and wrap it in foil or parchment paper for ease of further use.
The first method will require enamel or glass containers, parchment, and salt.
You can also place the oil, divided into parts, into a clean cloth previously soaked in table vinegar. Place in a cool, dark place. It is important that there is no exposure to sunlight.
The methods will preserve the freshness and taste of the product for several weeks at a relative humidity of no more than 90%. Without special preparation, butter can be stored in conditions room temperature without exposure to ultraviolet rays for one week.
Sunlight accelerates product deterioration: reduced nutritional value, yellowing occurs, the oil turns sour
If suddenly the product hits direct sun rays and turned yellow, the situation can be saved. You need to do the following:
Did you know that...
Butter contains about 20 essential fatty acids, vitamins A, D, E, K. Under the influence of high temperatures and UV rays, substances oxidize and their beneficial qualities disappear.
Not every buyer knows the difference between an oil-like product and butter. Some do not notice the differences, others tend to consider the spread a “low-fat” creamy product. What is it really?
The basis for making butter is cream. Normalized in special production separators, it is divided into skim milk and high-fat cream. Next, the latter are whipped using oil presses, resulting in the formation of oil. Everything in it is natural - if food additives are included in the composition, then in extremely small quantities.
May additionally include:
Did you know that...
Butter can be a product made from cream with a fat content of at least 72.5%. Products containing other components are automatically classified as spreads and margarines. This product is cheaper than the real thing.
The spread is based on 2 parts:
By carefully studying the composition, you can understand whether it is a spread or an oil. Also, natural cream products have GOST R-52969. If there are different numbers on the packaging, this is a vegetable fat product or margarine, which are manufactured according to other GOST standards, which allow the inclusion of flavors, preservatives, and emulsifiers. Thanks to this, the shelf life of the spread can reach up to 100 days.
Since 2014, GOST has been introduced for an independent product - butter with fillers: chocolate, honey, herbs, seafood and meat products, berries, fruits, vegetables and their mixtures
The following ways to independently distinguish spread from butter are popular among housewives:
But these methods are not always justified.
Or it doesn’t last long in the refrigerator beneficial properties: its main component - milk fat - is well tolerated low temperatures. When defrosted, the product acquires its original taste and smell, provided that the oil was stored according to all the rules.
100 g of natural butter contains:
Mineral composition: selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, zinc, potassium. Vitamins: A, B2, B4, B12, D, E, K.
In order to preserve the benefits of the product for a long time, it is important to create optimal conditions for it. At a temperature of -24...-18°C, the properties of salted butter are preserved for a whole year, at -12°C - for 9 months. For unsalted, the values are reduced to 5 and 3 months, respectively.
The product is kept for up to 20 days in a butter dish with a tight lid, 21 days in foil, 10 days in parchment, for the period specified by the manufacturer in the original packaging.
Advice! Utensils made of stainless steel, ceramics, porcelain, and food-grade plastic are suitable for oil. In a glass container it will quickly deteriorate.
At an optimal temperature of 0°C...+6°C, the product does not oxidize and does not absorb foreign odors.
First, the butter is cut into small pieces, each one is wrapped in foil and placed in a container or tight bag.
Closed containers are placed in the freezer. As you use it, take out 1-2 pieces. Repeated freezing is unacceptable.
How long you can store butter in the freezer depends on its packaging. Parchment paper loses moisture faster. The material does not protect the product from foreign odors; a dark coating forms on it.
Safer options are foil and sealed plastic containers.
Factory-produced packs are stored for 1 to 3 months.
Advice! If a shelf life of more than 90 days is indicated, this means that the product contains a lot of chemical additives, due to which it does not spoil for a long time, but its benefits are reduced to zero.
How long oil is stored depends on its quality, proper transportation and conditions in the store.
Manufacturers indicate on the package:
Deviations from these indicators indicate poor quality composition. The phrase “made according to GOST” without specific numbers is not enough. The names “Maslitse”, “Homemade” and others indicate the presence of vegetable fats.
The shelf life depends on:
Shelf life of butter with a fat content of 72.5–82.5% according to GOST 32261-2013, in days:
The product is stored longer with:
The shelf life of oil without refrigeration is no more than 20 days.
Storage methods:
Prolonged storage of a product under incorrect conditions leads to changes in its taste, color and benefits.
Positive temperatures and light weaken the aroma and cause a stale taste. The oil quickly deteriorates, becomes coated, and acquires a bitter odor. The oxidation of fats produces aldehydes, ketones and other harmful compounds.
How to check product freshness:
The main signs of a spoiled product:
The appearance of a yellow coating indicates the rapid spread of bacteria. This oil is disposed of or melted down and used in baking. Sometimes a deep yellow color indicates a large amount of food coloring.
Attention! Upon purchase dairy product on the market, dubious private producers have a risk of contracting an infectious disease - salmonellosis. In small industries, the quality of raw materials is poorly controlled. Salmonella in the milk of infected cows is not destroyed for 6 months.
Mold occurs when the integrity of the packaging is compromised. Removing the damaged area will not save the rest of the oil: fungi penetrate deeply and damage the entire product. This product is not used for food.
A high-quality natural product meets the standard - GOST 32261-2013, contains milk, cream, lactic acid bacteria, salt. The inscription on the packaging is always clear and precise: butter “Cream”, “Krestyanskoe”, “Lyubitelskoe”.
Store the product in paper-based foil, parchment, and airtight containers. Keep in the freezer in portions.
When purchasing, pay attention to the expiration date, date of manufacture, and integrity of the packaging: dented packs indicate a violation of the temperature regime during transportation or in the store.
