Will using 4 year old unsalted butter make one sick?

Will using 4 year old unsalted butter make one sick? - Annoyed female model in outerwear with old goggles yelling into walkie talkie while looking away on red background

I just made twice baked potatoes - and started by adding 3 tsps. of unsalted butter to the meat of 5 large baking potatoes. After adding the butter and starting to mash some of the potatoes, I did a taste test - tasted kind of "off". I then thought to look at the expiration date on the butter - 4 years ago!!! I finished the assembly with regular fresh butter sour cream, etc. and the potatoes taste fine.

Question: will eating these make my family sick? Should I throw them out and start all over?



Best Answer

There's no 100% answer to that question, we cannot say certainly whether they will make people ill, however there's not a single person on this site who will recommend that you eat it, which is a good indication. Even if you are lucky enough that there aren't harmful pathogens in the butter it will taste awful, which is another good reason to chuck it and start over.




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Can you use outdated unsalted butter?

The butter packets usually have the 'best before' dates on them but it's completely safe to use butter past the 'best before' date. You will be surprised to know that even if you store butter at room temperature, it's safe to consume it a week after the expiry date.

Can outdated butter make you sick?

Can Expired Butter Make You Sick? Eating butter that has been stored properly but is past its expiration date is very unlikely to make you sick, as butter remains good for consumption for a few months past the printed date. Even butter that has gone rancid is not likely to make you sick.

How long is unsalted butter good for after expiration date?

For long-term storage, put your butter in the freezer, and it'll last for 6 to 9 months. In the fridge, it should last a month past the printed date unopened and two weeks beyond the printed date after it's been opened.

How can you tell if unsalted butter is bad?

Slice a small portion of your butter, if the inside looks brighter or lighter, then it has gone bad. Black spots on butter are signs of mold formation. Butter with mold should be discarded. If your butter smells bad, decomposing, cheesy or sour then it has already gone bad.



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