Why does milk, cream, yogurt, etc. become rancid if left unrefrigerated, but butter can just freeball in a butter dish for-seemingly-ever and still be safe and edible?

Question

I just don’t get it. I’m sure there’s a very sciency explanation, but it makes no sense to me. I love that it can sit out to be soft and spreadable, but you try that with cream and you’re on the way to a stinky cheese, milk or yogurt you’ve just got a curdled surprise.

So why can butter just sit out and not start to stink or become dangerous to eat?

In: 122

Answer 1

I’m not sure if anyone else mentioned it yet, but how long butter lasts outside the fridge is different depending where you are and how it’s made. When I was in Switzerland the butter stayed in the fridge because it would go moldy in 3 days.

But the eggs sat on the counter because they were not processed the same way and didn’t need to be refrigerated lol

Answer 2

Butter will eventually go rancid.

You remove a majority of the water from butter when you make it. Makes it shelf stable since it’s basically pure fat

Answer 3

So a little bacteria growth is yummy, but slightly more and the food is sickening? Our stomachs can only handle a little quantity of the bacteria or does a new type grow at that “too long” threshold?

Answer 4

Fat to sugar and water ratio. Same reason butter keeps longer than whole milk and whole milk keeps longer than skim milk. The fattier it is, the less it harbors bacteria.

Answer 5

Butter goes rancid too. Maybe you can’t tell the difference for some reason, but actual butter does go rancid.

So do nuts and seeds.

Answer 6

Is it salted butter? That will slow spoilage.

Answer 7

Fun fact:
There is a ‘lip’ on a butter dish, on the base between the butter and the outer edge. It’s there because long ago folks used to pour a bit of water into this little area so that the lid sat in it, which kept air from getting to the butter and kept it fresh longer.

Answer 8

> water molecules in butter become separated by fat, which is almost impenetrable to bacteria. This protects butter from microbial growth. Salted butter is even better protected because the salt contributes to its stability. For this reason, butter can be stored safely on the counter.”

Answer 9

Butter goes rancid if left out in the warm, but it only affects the taste afaik. I don’t think it’s dangerous to eat?

Answer 10

If you put a stick of salted butter and a stick of unsalted butter out on the counter for a month, and try them afterward, the unsalted butter will have gone rancid. The salted butter will still be fine to eat. (Ugh. Ask me how I know.)

I say it’s the salt. Not only does it improve the butter’s flavor, it also acts as a preservative.