Is leaving butter out a good thing?

Growing up we always left the butter dish out on the counter. We used it daily and preferred the butter to be softened for our toast, English muffin or bagels. Mind you the butter didn't last long, maybe a week if that so it was always being replaced. 

Someone in a Facebook group I'm in asked if it was safe to be left out. I was always told that it was, but other's had different opinions so I did some research and found that butter does go bad if left out for too long. 

So due to the high fat content it is less susceptible to bacteria, which keeps it from spoiling right away. Most butters will last 14 days on the countertop.

So here's some tips...

1. Minimize light, heat and air exposure. Air exposure will oxidize the fat in butter, making it more susceptible to spoiling. Light and heat can also break up the fat molecules.

 

2. Keep it in an opaque, airtight butter dish. A French butter crock, the Butter Bell, will protect against all exposure. You just add water to the bottom and put the butter in the top half and then put the top on the crock. The water keeps the butter moist.

 

3. Leave salted butter out. Salt has preservative qualities and it also protects against bacteria, so the salted butter has a longer shelf life on the counter.