Salted Butter (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between salted butter and unsalted butter? ›

What Is the Difference Between Unsalted and Salted Butter? The difference between unsalted and salted butter is primarily — you guessed it — the salt content: unsalted butter has none and salted has about 1/4 teaspoon per 1/2 cup (though the amount of salt an differ between brands).

Salted butter is all-purpose. It's perfect for spreading on bread, topping veggies and pasta and using in recipes where you're not looking to have as much control over salt level. The salted butter may even add a little something special!

If you're baking and swapping in salted butter, the excess water from salted butter may make more of an impact. This is because extra water can have an effect on how gluten reacts and forms within dough. Consider slightly lessening any additional water the recipe may call for.

Whereas in case of salted butter, salt is added to butter to increase its shelf life as salt is a natural preservative. However, when had in excess, it might increase your caloric intake, sodium level in the body and also put you at risk of high cholesterol due to the presence e of saturated fats.

Both chefs agreed that when it comes to cooking and baking, salted butter is not the way to go because you can't control the amount of salt that will go in the recipe. But, salted butter is a great option to use after the cooking and baking process—like slathering on cornbread or blueberry muffins.

Keep the right type on the counter

Unsalted butter is fine at room temperature, but salted butter is better. In fact, salted butter can sit out on the countertop for a longer period of time without spoiling, since salt is a natural preservative, Bell explains. That means the salt protects against bacterial growth.

However, salted butter has several potential disadvantages, like increasing the “bad” cholesterol levels in your body, increasing the risk of coronary illness, and increasing your risk of hypertension.

The butter isn't just to stop it sticking - it enriches and flavours the dish too, so don't skimp on it, or be tempted to use an oil. Oils tend to taste bland or have a flavour that will jar, rather than complement your eggs. Salted or unsalted butter both work - unsalted just requires more seasoning.

Unsalted butter is usually fresher, since salt extends the shelf life of butter. This means that there is a premium for keeping the unsalted stuff stocked and added shipping costs, since it needs to reach the stores more quickly.

If you use salted butter, different brands may be more or less salty. If you use unsalted butter, you can measure the salt in the same amount every time you bake. Salted butter won't ruin a batch of cookies, but it is a good idea to cut back on any additional salt in the recipe.

Which butter is best for mashed potatoes? ›

Unsalted butter – For richness and buttery flavor. Milk – It smooths the starchy potatoes into an incredibly creamy mash. Use whole milk for the creamiest results.

When using salted butter in baking, it's important to keep in mind that it may impact the final taste of the product as it contains added salt. It's recommended to either reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by a 1/4 teaspoon or omit it completely. The amount of butter used in the recipe should not be changed.

Beyond the control discussion, though, salted butter can also adversely affect your dishes: adding salted butter to an already-seasoned sauce might take it over the salty mark, while including salted butter in a cookie dough might offset the sweet-salty ratio.

European-style butter

European butters have a higher butterfat percentage than American butters, and have become the butters of choice for many chefs, bakers, and passionate home cooks.

Grass-fed butter offers some health benefits to counteract the health risks it poses. It appears to have lower levels of saturated fats and more unsaturated fats than standard butter. This is because grass-fed butter is made from the milk of cows that are allowed to graze instead of being fed high-grain diets.

This helps create more consistent results for home bakers replicating a recipe. In general, salted butter is preferred for cooking (or simply spreading) as it adds more flavour and has a longer shelf life, while unsalted butter is the go-to for baking.

Use unsalted butter so you can add a small amount of salt (¼ teaspoon per stick of butter) to the sugar/liquid mixture. Salt tends to stabilize the mixture and keep it from foaming as much.