Why did the rules change???

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I remember growing up my mom always left the butter out in a covered dish. Up until she died ( a couple of years ago) she left it out as she liked her butter soft. I just read that the rule is that butter NOT be left out for longer than 4 hours. Whatsupwitdat????? Now it seems that EVERYTHING is refrigerated. Did someone change the laws of physics or food science when I wasn't looking or what??

 

[Rodan]

We leave some butter out. Never had an issue.

 

[NYlakesider]

That's a rule that is broken regularly at the Lakesiders domicile.

It could change if necessary.

 

[mtgianni]

The nanny self appointed police are getting stronger. The youngest generation wants to be self ruled with tighter restrictions while questioning the previous rules since the Magna Carta.

 

[crows]

Kinda like people freaking out about leaving pizza out for breakfast/lunch/dinner the next day. That's why they are delivered in boxes, guarantees long term freshness.

 

[Bald1]

We don't really use butter unless baking something. Not an issue for us. A small tub of Olivio last us 6 months and stays soft in refrigerator

 

[WR Moore]

My late mother apparently was awe struck by the idea of refrigeration. She'd even stick jars of pickles in the frig.

 

[twodog max]

I have been eating left out butter and cooked dishes all my life without ill effects. As I recall the only thing put back in the refrigerator was potato salad.
Ate many a jar of homemade jelly sealed with a layer of paraffin. Now the USDA nanny cops tell you that one will die a horrible excruciating death by doing so.
The more the gubbermint tells us the more I learn they are full of it in all matters.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Dude, I've been judged by a playbook under which I did not grow up for about the last decade . . .

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I do think the butter of today has changes. Salt is a preservative, and butter come with less salt across the board and some it "Unsalted" altogether.

Another item for consideration is, how much do we use compared to our mother's childhood? My own household went from two when just married to 6 when all the kids were born, back to two as empty nesters.

To watch my ever-growing midsection, I have been eating less bread and rolls, less toast and fewer grilled cheese sandwiches. So, I personally am eating around 50% less butter. That kind of means the butter sits out double the time when I ate more bread!

A 1/4-pound stick of butter sits out up to 5 days now, verses no more than a day when feeding 4 teenagers!

As to the Rules & Regulations Department, They exist only to add regulations and complications to our lives!

Ivan

 

[s&wchad]

I remember growing up my mom always left the butter out in a covered dish.

The greatest generation lived by a different philosophy than people today: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

 

[URIT]

Maybe the caution is meant for those who use the kitchen as a place to drop their keys while transitioning from the garage to their favorite room in the house with bags of carry-out.

There has always been a concern about butter becoming rancid, but, in the past, most folks cooked their own meals and used the butter up within a couple days, stored it out of the frig in a proper container, and knew that salted butter has a bit more protection from becoming rancid than unsalted.

I put a half-stick of salted butter in a 1 cup covered dish and use it within a couple days. I've never had a problem even when the room temperature is above 70F for the entire time.

 

[SMSgt]

The greatest generation lived by a different philosophy than people today: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Parents nowadays want to call 911 for a kid's skinned knee. Unless blood was spirting or bone exposed, my mom told me to get up and shake it off.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I put almost everything in the fridge after opening it. The part on the jar that says "Refrigerate after opening" is always the smallest writing on the jar; right down there with the chemical ingredients. I've had sour butter one time in my life, and it's like the smell of death. You never forget it. I just take it out before I make whatever it's gonna be used on.

 

[pawngal]

Butter has never gone in the fridge in my house, well, the stick that I'm using that is. How the heck does one butter a fresh hot muffin with hard cold butter??

 

[CH4]

59 years old and butter left on the counter hasn't killed me yet. I hate hard butter, McDonalds! Nothing will kill a beautiful pancake faster than cold butter.

 

[Onomea]

Butter has never gone in the fridge in my house, well, the stick that I'm using that is. How the heck does one butter a fresh hot muffin with hard cold butter??

Cut the muffin in half, put a big ol' pat of butter on the bottom half and put the top half on top. Wait a little bit for it to melt some, then spread it around.

My late mother apparently was awe struck by the idea of refrigeration. She'd even stick jars of pickles in the frig.

My mom was like that, too. Took me a while to get used to my wife leaving stuff out overnight. Say soup or stew. But she pointed out that she reheats it, killing anything that might have crawled in during the wee hours when we was sleepin'...

Butter. In the fridge it goes. But when I am especially sharp and on top of my mental game, I'll remember to take it out and let it sit for an hour or two before applying it to my toast. (This happens, oh, about once every three or four years or so...)

 

[StephenWhoDat]

I do keep my butter in the fridge. But ketchup, mustard, pickles, and even mayo do not ever enter the refrigerator in my house! And what's with people who refrigerate hot sauce?! Silly.

 

[CH4]

Never heard of not keeping opened jars of mayo in the fridge.

 

[Rudi]

Leave it out.

 

[robvious]

grandma's kitchen table had a tea towel covering a glass full of jelly, a covered butter dish & homemade bread at all times... the men, could grab a slice and add butter & jelly for quick snack at any point in the day... I took advantage of that often.. and enjoyed the nick name of Jelly b@tt as a husky young lad... I wish I could have a slice of grandma's bread with butter & strawberry jelly... a source of pure joy... leave the salted butter out... it will be ok for quite a while on the counter or table.. took a while for my better half to acclimate to it... but she grew up with margarine... that won't work sitting out... hard butter only works for cooking.

 

[llowry61]

Out just like the laces

 

[Rule3]

But is it Salted or unsalted butter??, some debate there
You need one of these, pour some water into it and the butter goes in the top end. It keeps it air tight.
Except if the room gets to warm, the butter slips out down into the water.

 

[LVSteve]

Butter has way less salt in it these days, so it needs to go in the fridge. I think the same might go for ketchup, too.

 

[Onomea]

Never heard of not keeping opened jars of mayo in the fridge.

Life on the edge!

 

[Rustyt1953]

Out just like the laces

Ray Finkle's downfall.

 

[Ματθιας]

What kind of "butter" are we talking about? For me, "butter" is a generic term.

 

[soFlaNative]

A very small pantry and lack of counter space makes the reefer our primary storage space.
If somebody can manage to chill a pancake, biscuit or muffin with a cold pat of butter I truly hope they are seated while chewing gum.

 

[walkin jack]

Try to visualize tying to spread cold hard butter on your bread or toast or biscuit or hotcakes..... I am 8O years old. Never have refrigerated butter and neither did my parents as far as I remember. I* think some folks just like to make up rules.

 

[pawngal]

I do keep my butter in the fridge. But ketchup, mustard, pickles, and even mayo do not ever enter the refrigerator in my house! And what's with people who refrigerate hot sauce?! Silly.

I do exactly the opposite. But I do use more butter than any of the other stuff.