So you’ve melted too much butter for that cookie recipe or steak and you’d like to save the extra melted butter.
However, you might notice that the melted butter looks different where the milk and fats separate…
So if you refrigerate melted butter, is it still useable?
Can you refrigerate melted butter?
Melted butter can be refrigerated or solidified and safely used at a later date. Generally, the melted butter will have the water and fats separate, so make sure to stir or whisk the melted butter thoroughly before using it.
Another thing you can do with melted butter is remove all the water and solids in order to make ghee.
Ghee is also called clarified butter and has a higher smoke point than regular butter since all the water has been removed. Not to mention ghee does not need to be refrigerated which is a nice bonus if you like to use room temperature butter.
Now let’s cover the most common questions with melted butter.
Can You Put Melted Butter Back in the Fridge?
Melted butter can be placed back in the fridge at a later date.
Generally, the melted butter will have the fats and the waters separated so the melted butter may look different. However, after the melted butter solidifies, you can re-melt the butter and stir the re-melted butter before using it.
The re-melted butter will taste and work the same as regular melted butter.
Keep in mind that you can whisk or stir melted butter before placing it back in the fridge if you’d prefer to have the butter solidify more uniformly versus in the separated state.
How Long Can Melted Butter Be Stored?
Melted butter can be stored in the fridge for as long as regular butter which, according to the USDA, can be kept in the fridge for 1 to 3 months.
However, the USDA recommends leaving melted and regular unmelted butter out at room temperature for a few days.
Butter that is left out a room temperature for a few days can start to turn rancid so it’s best to use any butter left out at room temperature within 1 to 2 days.
Can I Leave Melted Butter Out Overnight?
Melted butter and regular unmelted butter can be safely left out overnight. In fact, the USDA recommends using butter that is left out at room temperature within 1 to 2 days before the butter’s flavor turns rancid.
When you do decide to use melted butter, make sure to stir or whisk the melted butter so that the fats and water mix thoroughly.
Generally, the melted butter will have the fats and water separated. Mixing the fats and water together before using the melted butter will ensure that the butter tastes and works exactly the same as regular butter.
How Do You Preserve Melted Butter?
Melted butter can be preserved in the fridge or freezer in order to extend the lifespan of the melted butter.
Here is a table of how long melted butter lasts at room temperature, in the fridge, and the freezer:
| Melted Butter Storage Method | Storage Time |
|---|---|
| Kitchen Counter (Room Temperature) | Up to 1 week |
| Refrigerator | 1 to 3 months |
| Freezer | Up to 6 months |
If you want the melted butter to last longer at room temperature, then you can remove the water in order to be left with just the fats to create ghee or clarified butter. Generally, ghee can last at room temperature for up to 3 months.
Can You Reheat Melted Butter?
Melted butter can be reheated and used. Generally, you want to reheat melted butter so that the fats and water will mix thoroughly.
The fats and water will separate from cool melted butter. However, before using melted butter for a steak or a cookie recipe, you should reheat the melted butter and stir thoroughly.
Can You Resolidify Melted Butter?
Melted butter can be resolidified in the refrigerator or freezer. You can either allow the melted butter to resolidify with the water and fats separated or you can stir the fats and water together before allowing the melted butter to resolidify.
In fact, a good melted butter food trick is to place melted butter in an ice tray with seasoning such as rosemary before placing the melted butter back in the freezer.
After the melted butter resolidifies, you will be left with seasoned butter cubes that can add a ton of flavor to any dish or steak.
Can You Whip Melted Butter?
Melted butter can be whipped in order to mix the fats and water thoroughly before using the melted butter. Moreover, melted butter can be whipped in order to create a lighter and airier butter mixture.
If the melted butter is not mixing together then reheat the melted butter in the microwave or in a pan to help liquefy the fats. Once the fats are warmer, the water and fats will mix easier which will make the melted butter easier to whip.
One Last Word
Melted butter is great to use for a variety of dishes and recipes.
Whether you’re adding melted butter on top of a steak or adding melted butter to a cookie recipe, melted butter is much easier to use than a stick of hard butter.
However, if you melt too much butter and have extra then make sure to not toss the leftover melted butter.
Melted butter can be refrigerated or solidified and safely used at a later date. Generally, the melted butter will have the water and fats separate, so make sure to stir or whisk the melted butter thoroughly before using it.
Not to mention you can even evaporate the excess water from the melted butter in order to create ghee or clarified butter.
So make sure to keep that extra melted butter to use at a later date!
