I find it easier to just rub the stick of butter onto a hot pan to grease the pan instead of cutting off a piece and putting it in.
However this would heat up some of the butter on the stick. Would this have any adverse effects?
Seasoned Advice is a question and answer site for professional and amateur chefs. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityI find it easier to just rub the stick of butter onto a hot pan to grease the pan instead of cutting off a piece and putting it in.
However this would heat up some of the butter on the stick. Would this have any adverse effects?
It would depend on how quickly you use the butter, how thoroughly the pan was cleaned, and how long the pan was stored between uses/washes, and how clean your hands were when rubbing the butter in the pan. The more contaminates you introduce the butter and the longer you store it, the more likely the butter will spoil.
Refrigerated butter is good for about a month after the sell-by date. Generally, butter that has been handled loses half its shelf life or more (generally succumbing to mould infestation).
If your hands and pan are clean, the risk is greatly reduced. Despite this, I find handled butter's shelf life is much lower than sealed butter (1-2 weeks versus 3-4).