February 26, 2025, 3:55 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
When butter is discounted, it’s a good idea to grab a pack or two more. Who knows when it will be on sale again? But where to put all the butter? Can you even freeze it?
For many people, butter is part of their daily diet — for baking, on bread, or with herbs on meat. But what can you do if you have large quantities of butter in stock and can’t use it at the moment? myHOMEBOOK explains whether you can freeze butter to extend its shelf life.
Can Butter Be Frozen?
It is indeed possible to freeze butter — but there are a few points to bear in mind. It is best to freeze it immediately after buying. To do this, simply put the entire pack of butter in the freezer. The original packaging is very suitable for this, but a small freezer container made of plastic or glass is also a good alternative. The German Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE) recommends using up frozen butter within six to nine months.
According to Ökotest, it is important to make sure that the packaging is not damaged. The rule is that the less contact with the air, the better. As we know from many foods, contact with oxygen also leads to contamination by germs. The living organisms that are invisible to us cause the butter to spoil.
Tip: Salted butter can be frozen for up to a year. The salt helps to preserve it.
Opened Butter Can Also Be Frozen
You can also put cut butter in the freezer without any problems. However, you should use a freezer container to protect the butter from contact with the air as much as possible.
What Is the Best Way to Defrost Butter?
Defrosting is just as easy as freezing. The gentlest way is to leave the butter to defrost overnight in the fridge. It is quicker if you divide the butter into smaller pieces beforehand.
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When to Dispose of Butter
Butter stored in the fridge can only be kept for several weeks. The butter is no longer edible if mold, a sour smell, or an unpleasant taste appears. You should, therefore, avoid storing bad butter in the freezer.