To prevent rancidity, never store butter at room temperature. For ease in spreading, remove butter from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before using it. Butter absorbs odors from other foods rapidly. To prevent flavor changes, keep butter wrapped in moisture, vapor-proof material or in tightly covered containers. For refrigerator storage, leave butter in its original wrapper.
Higher temperatures cause off-flavors and unpleasant odors to develop.
Opened portions of butter should be refrigerated in a covered dish. Butter should not be stored in a butter keeper longer than two days. For holding longer than two weeks, butter should be frozen. To store butter in the freezer, use moisture, vapor-proof freezer packaging material to keep butter from absorbing odors from other foods and to prevent freezer burn. Butter in its original carton can be over-wrapped.