Most of us consume butter every day. But those who don’t, their butter brick sits in the fridge for months. Have you ever wondered what happens when you consume this butter that has been lying in your fridge for months?
The butter packets usually have the 'best before' dates on them but it’s completely safe to use butter past the 'best before' date.
You will be surprised to know that even if you store butter at room temperature, it’s safe to consume it a week after the expiry date.
You can even consume it after a month of its expiry date, but for that you have to store it correctly.
The proper way to store butter
To increase the shelf life of butter it should be stored below 40 degrees fahrenheit. If kept at room temperature for too long, the oils in the butter will go rancid.
If kept in the freezer, it can last for six to nine months. And when kept in the fridge, it can last for a month past the printed date. Use the inner shelves of the fridge rather than the shelves on the door to avoid temperature fluctuations.
How to tell if the butter is no more safe to be consumed?
Spoiled butter will be either too soft or too hard. It may even grow mould. Check for discolouration and sour smell or taste (eating a small amount won’t hurt your health).
What happens when you eat expired/old butter?
The first thing to do is, not panic as old butter cannot kill you or give you food poisoning. The worst that can happen is a stomach ache. Also, rancid butter can lower your vitamin E and vitamin B stores.
So, like most other foods you will be able to tell when butter starts to go bad because it will look discoloured and will have a slightly sour taste.
