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 Posted By: Jumkie31 
Aug 25  # 1 of 13
Q: What's the deal with salted and unsalted butter?

A: Butter comes two ways: salted and unsalted. Salt is added to butter for flavor and as a preservative so it will have a longer shelf life. Salt, however, can sometimes overpower the sweet flavor of the butter and can also mask odors. Additionally, the amount of salt added to salted butter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so it's hard to know how much extra salt you're adding to a recipe. Using unsalted butter allows the chef to control the amount of salt in a recipe.

If you have no choice but to use salted butter in a recipe, the rule of thumb is to omit about 1/4 teaspoon salt per 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter.

Unsalted butter has a short shelf life because it contains no preservatives. If you buy unsalted butter and do not use it right away, it is best to freeze it. If properly wrapped so it won't pick up any odors, butter can be frozen for around six months. Just remember to defrost the butter overnight in the refrigerator before using it.
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 Posted By: Raquelita 
Aug 25  # 2 of 13
That's interesting about the difference between salted and unsalted. I always buy unsalted and always keep extra sticks of butter in the freezer so i've never had an issue.
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 Posted By: BagCSC 
Aug 26  # 3 of 13
I am not sure if mine is salted or not. I like to use Brummel and Brown (made with yogurt).
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 Posted By: PoorGirl 
Aug 26  # 4 of 13
That is good to know. My dad just had a quad bypass and cannot have salted foods. Will tell him about this.
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 Posted By: muslgrl 
Aug 27  # 5 of 13
I always buy the salted myself