How should I store herb butter?
I tried just keeping it in a tightly-closed container in the refrigerator, but soon it was moldy.
I've read this question, which seems to indicate that ordinary butter should keep safely for weeks at fridge-temperatures... But my preparation is hardly ordinary butter.
My technique is very simple: 200g butter in boiling water and 30g of chopped herb (a mixture of leaves and buds) An hour of boiling, strain the herb with a filter gauze and put the liquid in the refrigerator until the fat solidifies and can be easily separated from the water. (The herb is in my case cannabis.)
Freezing is something I've considered trying, but would this affect the texture, or otherwise damage flavor?
Best Answer
Butter, even a compound butter like this, shouldn't have enough moisture to get moldy easily. I think the issue is that you are clarifying the butter in boiling water, which could be causing pockets of moisture in the finished product. You could try melting the butter in a pan without water, adding the herbs, and then allowing the water based part at the bottom to cook off. Once that has happened, you can strain and chill the butter as usual.
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Quick Answer about "How should I store herb butter?"
Herb Butters can be stored in the refrigerator for several days, preferably in a sealed container (the herbal log wrapped in wax paper may be sealed in a plastic zipper top bag).How do you store herbed butter?
Herb butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. You can freeze the herb butter to store for longer. Put the wax or parchment paper-wrapped herb butter into a freezer bag and freeze for up to six months. The herb butter will still be safe to eat after that, but the quality will decline significantly.How long does herb compound butter last?
How long does compound butter last in the fridge and freezer. Store in a fridge covered or rolled in parchment paper for as long as the date on the butter package allows (1 month) or freeze for up to three months.Can herb butter be frozen?
Freeze herbs in compound butter. And you can stash it in your freezer until you need it. To make compound butter, you simply blend softened butter with fresh herbs and seasonings, shape it, and freeze it.How long is seasoned butter good for?
If refrigerated, salted butter can last up to five months while frozen salted butter can last for a year. Flavored butter, also called compound butter is just butter mixed with herbs, spices, and other flavorings. Compound butter can last for up to five days in the refrigerator and six months if kept frozen.How To Make Herb Infused Butter
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Answer 2
First of all, salted butter should preserve the herbs for longer, whether it is stored in the fridge or in the freezer. I would recommend using salted butter if you are freezing your herb butter.
Putting the liquid mixture that you have created (after you have strained it) into an ice cube tray in the freezer to store it works well. If you do plan to store it in the freezer, wait for it to solidify in the fridge first. (This takes about 3 hours) Once it is solid, cover it tightly with wax paper and store it in the freezer. Storing the herb butter in an ice cube tray also makes it easier to take out a small amount of the butter at a time.
FYI, when I make my butter with additives, (herbs, honey, etc.) I soften my butter on the counter and, depending on how much butter I am planning to make, I put the butter and the added herbs into a little Cuisinart blender and mix the two together or i bix the two together in a little bowl with a fork.
Hope this helps!
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