How to cut frozen butter?

[fldhkybnva]

A few of my favorite European-style butters were on sale last week so I grabbed a bit more than I will be able to use for a while. I imagine it will last me a year or more, so I figured it'd be best to freeze it. I mostly use butter in cooking (sauteeing, steak topper, etc). vs baking However, I'd like to use a pat here or there. Is it relatively easy to hack off a chunk when I need it?

[greygarious]

Butter freezes just fine, but fats do pick up refrigerator odors so for long storage do pop the package into a freezer baggie or wrap an added layer of aluminum foil tightly against the packaging.

[fldhkybnva]

Great, thanks for the tip. I wrapped them in freezer paper and then in plastic freezer bags.

[Chemicalkinetics]

I agree with others. I would partition your butter now. Leave one in refrigerator, and the rest in freezer. Good luck.

[Bacardi1]

As other posters have suggested, simply run a knife under hot water for a couple of minutes. The old adage "like a hot knife through butter" is one of the truer ones - lol!

[fldhkybnva]

haha, yea, the obvious solution.

[ipsedixit]

Hot knife.

[applgrl]

I know it's after the fact, but before I freeze it I use a cheese cutter to get even portions. It's the cutter that has a wooden or marble platform, and an arm with a wire (piano or guitar string).

You could partially thaw the butter, cut and re-freeze: I've done that before.

[LindaWhit]

Cut it into the chunk size you want, and freeze on parchment or waxed paper. They can then be popped into a ziploc bag for use when you need it.

[Lotsofscots]

I freeze butter all the time and keep a pound in the fridge for daily use. When I've needed to get some frozen butter into immediate use the quickest way is to grate it using a regular size grater. I don't do it for company, because those pats are much prettier, but grated butter works fine, even over toast. It melts quickly!

[FrankJBN]

"Is it relatively easy to hack off a chunk when I need it?"

Yes.

[TeRReT]

'like a hot knife cutting through butter'

I would portion 1lb of butter into 4 sticks, that way your have your sticks premeasured, and then individually wrap, it would be much easier to cut a chunk off a stick then an entire block. Run a knife under hot or boiling water and slowly but surely it should cut through the butter fine. Or leave it out on the counter for 15 minutes and I am sure it would be easier to cut through.

That said, I have never found it necessary to freeze butter myself, just depends on your turnover

[fldhkybnva]

How long would it last in the fridge? I don't think I've ever had butter that 'went bad.'

[LindaWhit]

I wouldn't keep butter in the fridge for a year. Are these European butters in sticks or in half-pound or one-pound blocks? I freeze butter all the time, and pull out a pound (4 sticks) at a time and put them in my fridge. A stick will get taken out as needed and put into the butter tray for use as needed.

[fldhkybnva]

They are in one-pound foil wrapped blocks.

[LindaWhit]

If you want smaller "pats" to use, I would cut each 1-lb. block in thirds, and then cut those thirds into 4 pieces for freezing on parchment or waxed paper. That sounds like a reasonable size for what you're looking to use them for.

[fldhkybnva]

I think this is my solution, thanks.

[LindaWhit]

You're quite welcome. Good butter is a treasure.

[InSearchOfTacos]

i would just grate off the quantity you need if you want to keep it frozen

[melpy]

Do you always freeze
Your butter?

I would leave one pack out and freeze the rest and take out a new pack as needed instead of storing it in the freezer even after you open it.

[fldhkybnva]

Nope, never frozen butter but with so much that I can't use in a few months I thought it'd be best to keep it fresh.

[melpy]

Right. So keep one out and as you get to the end if it put a new one in the fridge from the freezer.

[Puffin3]

I'd melt a pound at a time and turn it into 'ghee'. IMO.

[meatn3]

It isn't that hard to cut off a piece. It is hard to cut off a precisely measured piece. Perhaps you could divide it into useable sizes and then freeze?