RAW BUTTER TIPS 101: SHELF LIFE, STORAGE, USES, AND MORE
Okay, I know the top questions at the front of your mind.
How long does raw butter last for?
How do I store raw butter?
Can I freeze raw butter?
Was I right? I thought so. Keep reading to get the answers to these questions.
What is the shelf life of raw butter?
On all of our products, we have a best use by date. We give our raw butter 60 days from when it is made to when we “expect” the raw butter to begin its early stages of evolution. When it evolves it doesn’t go bad. It rarely goes “bad”, it simply sours and evolves, and develops a parmesan flavor. I don’t mind that flavor, actually. All in all, we suggest enjoying it within the 60 days to make it easy. You can also freeze it for up to a year. :)
View the nutritional information here.
You can find great recipes here to help get inspiration to enjoy our raw products: https://rawfarmusa.com/recipes
TIPS FOR STORING RAW BUTTER PROPERLY
Can I store it on the counter?
Yes, you can absolutely store raw butter on the counter. We recommend taking a portion of raw butter (1 stick at a time) and storing it on the counter in a glass butter dish. You can store the remainder of the sticks in the fridge to maintain freshness for longer. When left on the counter, raw butter will become more rich, bold, and flavorful. It will also develop a slight smell of parmigiano reggiano cheese. That is what you WANT raw butter to be like! This exquisite flavor and richness is not experienced with pasteurized butter because the bacteria are dead. Raw butter is more alive and rich in flavor and color; its color deepens overtime. Not to forget, it’s a natural probiotic that has a plethora of health benefits to offer. It is a truly wonderful experience to watch raw butter evolve on the counter!
What are the benefits of storing raw butter on the counter?
More spreadable: When you leave raw butter on the counter, it becomes much easier to spread. This makes it convenient for making toast, grabbing a spoonful, or topping your meals with extra raw butter.
More prone to use: Leaving raw butter on the counter ensures that it will stay top of mind! You’ll remember to incorporate raw butter into your meals and snacks, and you won’t forget about it in the fridge. Raw butter from grass-grazed cows offers wonderful health benefits. It can lower inflammation, balance insulin levels, increase metabolism and promote weight loss, improve digestive health, and give detoxification pathways a jump start so that you can burn fat more efficiently. It also contains the important vitamins A, D, E and K, essential fatty acids like omega-3s and CLAs.
What happens if my RAW butter STARTS to mold?
The best way to prevent your butter from molding is to use a clean silverware (fork, knife, or spoon) every time you go to grab some butter, a special tip practiced by Mama Blaine McAfee. For example, when spreading butter onto a slice of sourdough toast, Blaine will scoop a big helping of raw butter onto her toast so that she does not have to go for more. In the case that she does need more raw butter, she uses a clean knife. This is so that no other food particles or debris get mixed into the butter and cause mold. If food particles DO happen to get onto the butter stick and mold starts to form, simply scoop out the moldy part and continue enjoying your raw butter. This is not a food hazard or safety issue, and you will be fine if you simply remove it from the stick.
WAYS TO USE RAW BUTTER
What’s the difference between raw butter and pasteurized butter? Can you use them in the same ways? You absolutely can! In fact, we argue that raw butter is even better. It is more flavorful, more nutrient dense, and offers beneficial bacteria and enzymes for digestion which pasteurized butter and pasteurized dairy products lack. Read more about why raw butter is better here.
Great uses for raw butter include:
Toast with raw butter and avocado
Top your steaks (or other protein) with raw butter
Create a sauce with raw butter
Make raw buttercream icing for cakes, cupcakes, and muffins
Cook and bake with raw butter. Learn about what happens when heat raw dairy products here.
Enjoy a spoonful on its own! Add raw honey for a special treat. 😍
do you still offer raw butter tubs?
Great question. Raw butter tubs were a temporary solution for our long-term goal of brining the raw butter sticks back, which offer convenience in measuring purposes, portion control, and have LESS buttermilk which means more butterfat! We are very excited to be producing raw butter sticks again. Some of you truly preferred the raw butter tubs, and you can save your tubs and re-use them.