I think it depends on where you live and if you have cats! I grew up in the southern US and we always refrigerated our butter because it would melt into a pool of goo if we left it out in summer. We just got in the year-round habit. My mom now lives in Colorado where it can get over 100 degrees in summer, so she refrigerates. But I now live in New England and leave my butter out all the time because otherwise it's unspreadable. I store unused sticks in the refrig until I need them but usually keep a stick in a covered butter dish on the counter. Also, when I had cats, I could never find a butter dish that would keep them out, so I tended to put it in the refrig.

I have found that salted butter lasts longer on the counter than unsalted. We keep a stick out in a covered dish and the rest in the fridge. If I end up with a lot of butter for some reason some will go in the freezer.

[QUOTE=Geri B;7797227]I understand the whipped butter I have may melt if left out, or whatever, but I was thinking of stick butter. sticks is what I usually buy, but keep all in fridge. So for those who keep stick butter

I use stick along with the tub, the tub is more for the little ones when they make their own. I only have one stick out at a time and its either in a container or the wrapper and it'll be on the counter for days sometimes, depending on how much I use it that week. I have never had a problem with it.

I use this one butter keeper

http://www.quiltingboard.com/recipes...l-t285421.html

I use Ghee butter a lot. Ghee butter is on the shelf. Lasts forever. No milk solids in it. I have many jars of it in my pantry. I use a rectangle butter bell for sticks of butter. Bottom bowl has water and the insert holds the butter. I have the round butter bell but it is messier then the rectangle one.

Put out just what you would use in a few days and then put more out as needed. I only put out half a stick at most and all is well.

I have a stick of butter on a covered dish on the counter all the time. We generally use it within a week and it has never gone bad. I don't like globs of butter on bread so prefer the softer spreadable butter.

I don't like the butter holders with water. My best friends mother in high school always left her butter out in a dish. About 6-7 years ago when I quit buying anything but stick butter, I decided to leave it out in a covered dish. I tis always creamy soft and easy to spread. it has never gone bad and also has never smelled or tasted funny. I live in Florida and with just my husband and I we might take a week or two to eat a stick. It does not go bad...and so good.

We grew up on a farm and never kept the butter dish in the fridge, just the overstock. It never went bad. (we lived up north)

Whipped butter is not the same regular , your grandmother probably didn't have whipped butter.

I keep my butter on my counter top to.