Contact Me

Sunday, July 29, 2018

The effect of refrigerated and frozen storage on butter nutrients, flavor and texture

A few years ago, I read that freezing butter destroyed some of the nutrition. I decided I would investigate. What I found was an article from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. When you go to the ARTICLE, you can see what the alphabet soup means.  Hint--National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health. Plus, ".gov" makes me trust the information.

No. Refrigeration or freezing will not diminish the nutrition of butter. However, how you store it is crucial to taste. You cannot just toss the butter in the refrigerator or freezer. It needs to be airtight. I plan to freeze mine in foil and put it inside a freezer bag.

To the right of the abstract are several articles about butter.  Since this is just an abstract, there is more in the article. But, I cannot access that. Can you?

Now, if you find articles from credible institutions stating that freezing butter is detrimental to the nutritional value of butter, feel free to post it in a comment.

Your turn
Do you freeze butter? Can you tell if butter has changed once it is thawed? If so, how did you wrap it to freeze it?

17 comments:

  1. I always freeze butter. I buy it whenever it's on sale and usually have about 5# in the freezer. I've never noticed any change in taste.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Julie,
      Thanks. Do you wrap it or store in plastic freezer bags? What is the best sale that you find?

      Delete
    2. nope, I just stick it in the freezer - no wrapping or bags. sometimes there will be a loss leader for $1.99 or rarely, $1.49. sometimes gas stations like kwik trip will have a big deal.

      Delete
    3. Julie,
      Thanks. I think I will use a bag. that is interesting where you find it on sale.

      Delete
  2. I always just put it in the fridge or freezer when I bring it home from the store. I could just used to the taste, but I think it tastes just fine. Maybe I will start putting it in zipper bags.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. tana50,
      When I put bread in the freezer, I reused freezer bags. I will probably label the bag so I know what was in it. Thanks. I had margarine that stayed in refrigerator too long, and I had to toss it because the taste was so off.

      Delete
  3. I do not use much butter so I freeze it all the time and I did not feel any taste difference. Didn't use zipper bags. I cook with olive oil. I use butter only for rice pilaf and for breakfast. I do not use any other kind of oil.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. T'Pol,
      Thanks for that. You use healthy choices. I still need Country Crock for my oatmeal. Hopefully, I can wean myself from needing that taste.

      Delete
  4. Butter can become rancid if not stored properly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alice
      Oh yes! How do you store yours?

      Delete
    2. I live in South Florida, so I keep it in the refrigerator.

      Delete
  5. I have frozen butter for years, and never noticed a difference in taste. I used to buy organic butter in bulk from a farm to table service, but now, I buy Kerrygold in bulk from Costco. I use butter almost exclusively in my baking, and unless I need a high smoke oil, it is my preferred cooking oil.
    I also freeze cream cheese. When it goes on sale for $1/8 oz. bars, I will buy a case, and freeze what I won't use. I do notice a slight difference in texture in the cream cheese once it's been frozen--if I am using it for a cheesecake, it tends to clump a bit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meg b,
      Thanks. I hear Kerrygold is a great butter. I am trying to switch to butter for most things. I think I froze cream cheese once.For such a great price, I can handle a few lumps.

      I wish I could freeze a case of anything!

      Delete
  6. I always buy butter on sale and then just put it in the freezer without wrapping it in anything. I like to keep at least 10 pounds, always. For cooking, I use virgin coconut oil or butter/coconut oil mix for frying and general cooking. Always butter for baking. Never thought about freezing cream cheese, although I freeze all other cheeses. Since I found out I can make a yummy cheesecake in my Instant Pot, I will now freeze cream cheese, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tewshooz,
      I have coconut oil but never have used it. That is a lot of butter! I rarely bake anymore, so I don't need so much butter. Instant Pot cheesecake? I would freeze cream cheese, too. Now, I want cheesecake.

      Delete
  7. We love butter in our house, but I've never frozen it, just keep it in the fridge!

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan,
      Thanks. Maybe I don't need to freeze it.

      Delete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.