How to Freeze Butter and Margarine for Long-Term Storage

Butter is one of the easiest foods to store. If you see a great sale at the supermarket, buy as much as you can fit. Knowing how to freeze butter means you never have to pay full price for baking essentials again.

How to Pack It

Most butter comes in paper or foil wrappers.

• Short Term (1-2 months): You can toss the sticks directly in the freezer as they are.
• Long Term (6+ months): Put the sticks (or the whole box) inside a heavy-duty freezer bag. This protects the butter from absorbing odors like onions or fish that might be nearby.

Can butter be frozen? Absolutely. Salted butter lasts up to 12 months; unsalted lasts about 6 months (salt is a preservative).

The Grater Hack for Bakers

This is a professional pastry chef trick.

• If you need to make pie crust or scones, you need cold butter.
• Take a frozen stick of butter and grate it using a cheese grater directly into your flour.
• The small frozen shreds mix perfectly without melting, creating the flakiest layers imaginable.

Thawing

• Refrigerator: Overnight is best.
• Room Temp: Leave it on the counter for 3-4 hours.
• Avoid Microwave: Unless a recipe calls for melted butter, microwaving it unevenly melts the structure, which helps if you are creaming it with sugar.

Simple, effective, and cost-saving, butter belongs in your freezer!