topic Re: Butter in Recipes

Butter

Puzzle Piece — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:38:27 GMT

Salted or unsalted does it really make a difference?

Re: Butter

spumoni99 — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:40:33 GMT

I always buy unsalted so I can control the salt in recipes and in case I use the butter for desserts. I think unsalted is better for sure.

Re: Butter

Etoile308 — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:44:22 GMT

Yes, it makes a difference in cooking and especially in baking.

Re: Butter

Ainhisg — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:55:04 GMT

Salted all the way! A lot of recipes that call for unsalted butter will have salt in the recipe. I just decrease the salt in the recipe if I feel that's going to be an issue.

Re: Butter

Desertdi — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:27:29 GMT

Salted keeps better. I store mine in the freezer.

Re: Butter

Carmie — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:34:32 GMT

I buy mostly salted and unsalted on occasion. For most recipes, it doesn't matter which one I choose. Even in baking cakes and cookies, salt is an ingredient. I just cut back on the salt in the recipe a little if using salted butter. 1/2 cup ( one stick) salted butter equals about 1/4 tea salt.

There are very few recipes where unsalted is actually really needed. Salted butter has a longer life. Salt acts as a preservative.

I don't get excited about perfection. I usually tweak a recipes ingredients to my taste anyway.

Re: Butter

PA Mom-mom — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:32:02 GMT

I buy salted. I like salt; what can I say?

Re: Butter

JeanLouiseFinch — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:34:39 GMT

I use salted for everything without any negative effects. If the recipe also calls for actual salt, ease up on the amount a little.

Re: Butter

LavernLuvsShoes — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:35:40 GMT

Always Salted...

I've never understood why a recipe calls for "unsalted" butter, then it requires one to add "salt."

Re: Butter

bargainsgirl — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:42:33 GMT

I buy both...

Re: Butter

cjm61 — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

@Puzzle Piece If you leave butter out in a butter dish it must be salted. There are recipes that clearly state to use UNsalted.

I buy both.

Re: Butter

Sooner — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:55:51 GMT

I do not care what the recipe says. I buy salted butter. Never had a problem with doing it. Unless you are using gobs of butter and not many other ingredients, what difference could it make.

Of course there are expections. People for whatever reason eat NO salt if they can avoid it. So no need to reply "Yes but if". SOME do not eat salt.

Re: Butter

lynnie61 — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:03:42 GMT

I only buy salted. I bought a pound of unsalted last month by mistake, and just saved it for recipes. I want salted butter for toast, bagels, dinner rolls.

Re: Butter

cjm61 — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:10:33 GMT

I use to think the same, what difference does it make. Well, I was making homemade white frosting and it said DO NOT use salted butter because it will cause the frosting to be salty. I kind of smirked and said no biggie. I only had salted butter and really, what difference could it make!

Yikes, holy cow, the frosting DID taste salty, too salty. So now I always use salted unless the recipe specifically says use unsalted. There is a reason for it.

Re: Butter

jlkz — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:06:40 GMT

@Sooner

With all the heart medications DH is on, salt is a No-No. he has to weigh each morning to main his weight within one pound.

He was hospitalized for severe shortness of breath, put on intravenous Lasix ( Furosimide ), wore a full head oxygen mask, and lost 15 lbs. of fluid in a day....

This is a fellow who watches his salt intake, reads labels when he grocery shops, and cooks without salt.

Salt is a major issue and why I make huge batches of marinara sauce for soup and pizza sauce. This has been a way of life for 20+ years.

Re: Butter

Cwoldie — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:21:50 GMT

Recipes often specify unsalted butter as each brand of butter can have a slightly different amount of salt. So if the recipe calls for unsalted and then specifies adding salt that is the reason. If you have only salted butter just cut back on the amount specified in the recipe.

Re: Butter

Etoile308 — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:43:26 GMT

@cjm61, perfect example. And as another poster mention, salt amounts can vary with each brand of butter.

Re: Butter

Icegoddess — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:57:16 GMT

Mostly salted, but if I'm making a recipe that calls for unsalted, that is what I'll use. I don't bake a lot, so it's generally not an issue. I do keep a stick out on the counter in a butter bell.

Re: Butter

AuntG — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:16:16 GMT

I use what the recipe calls for when baking. For cooking, I use salted butter all the time.

Re: Butter

Bonkers1 — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:32:29 GMT

I don't really know if it works better in recipes but I bought it by mistake for everyday use. I ended up putting salt on it because I didn't want to waste it.