Unsalted vs Salted Butter: Which to Use?
And what’s even the difference?
Have you ever been in the middle of baking when you notice the recipe calls for unsalted butter?
Panic ensues as you try to remember if you have salted or unsalted butter in your fridge.
Which makes you wonder, is there even a difference between the two and would a simple substitution really be that detrimental?
First, what’s the difference?
As the name implies, salted butter has a small amount of salt added. For most brands, this is about 90 milligrams of salt per tablespoon butter. In comparison, unsalted butter is simply a mixture of cream, water, and milk solids (mostly proteins, lactose, vitamins, and minerals).
The addition of salt not only affects taste, but also acts as a preservative to keep the butter from spoiling. For exactly this reason, salted butter can have a shelf life of several months.
Read more: Difference Between Plant-Based Butter and Margarine
Here’s when unsalted butter works best
The main advantage of using unsalted butter is you have complete control over your recipe. You can measure out the exact amount of salt needed or simply salt to taste.
Unsalted butter also allows the natural flavor of butter to come through. This is important for baked goods that rely on the sweet, creamy flavor of butter as a predominant trait. Even a small amount of salt can cover up these subtle flavors.
Should you ever use salted butter?
When following a recipe, it’s often easier to use unsalted butter and measure out the amount of salt needed, but salted butter is great for topping and spreading on food.
What I mean, is if you’re serving a baguette with butter or need to add a little bang to your veggies, salted butter adds just a hint of saltiness while also accentuating the other flavors in the food. Salt is known for bringing out the natural flavors present in foods. That’s why it pairs so well with nearly any dish.
In essence, whenever you don’t need complete control of the salt in a food, salted butter might be a good option.
Can they be substituted for each other?
The short answer — yes.
If you generally aren’t picky about the amount of salt in your foods, a simple 1:1 substitution of unsalted for salted butter, or vice versa, should be fine. Be careful to not over salt if you’re substituting salted butter into the recipe that calls for unsalted butter.
Here’s a quick tip.
If a recipe recommends unsalted butter, and you only have the salted variety, simply omit the extra salt or add less salt than the recipe calls for. This should help balance the salt content since the butter contains the salt needed.
It might seem frivolous to have both salted and unsalted butter in your refrigerator, but each really does have its own purpose.
If you’re big into baking, unsalted butter gives you more flexibility and control in recipes. You can easily add a pinch of salt, if the recipe recommends it, until the flavor is just right for you.
On the other hand, salted butter makes a better topping and spread for foods. The small amount of salt in the butter pairs well with toast, veggies, and most other dishes. It quickly takes a bland, boring meal to a whole new flavor level.
And if it makes you feel better, I have both types in my refrigerator right now and I’m not ashamed to say it!
