Growing up, I only ever knew about salted butter. My family is a bunch of salt-lovers, and I just assumed butter came in one variety. When I got older, I heard of this horrid thing called “unsalted butter”. “What even is that??” I thought. For people who don’t like flavor?? Turns out, lots of people use unsalted butter- and I realized over the years that unsalted butter can actually serve a purpose, and sometimes is even better to use than salted butter. But it can be hard to know when to use which if you’re unfamiliar with them!

The one and only difference between salted and unsalted butter is- you guessed it, salt! Salted butter generally has a longer shelf life, since it’s full of a preservative- salt! This also means, however, that sometimes the salted butter you buy from the store may not be as fresh as unsalted. This probably won’t matter, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Now, some may be wondering- why have 2 different butters? Why not just have all one or the other? The salt component used to be much more important- because without refrigeration, you definitely needed butter with a longer shelf life! Now we don’t necessarily need it- but so many people are used to it- and let’s be honest, it does just taste better!

So how do you know which to use? In general, when cooking, use salted, and when baking, use unsalted. This is definitely not all-encompassing, but it gives you somewhere to start. Salted butter is going to have a saltier, stronger flavor, so it will be a much better option for searing steak, sauteing vegetables, anything where you want to enhance the flavor a bit.

Unsalted butter is ideal for baking, because baking is such a science. The amount of salt put into batches of butter is going to vary brand to brand, and sometimes even batch to batch within the same brand! This can make it a little unpredictable when using for baking, which is why it’s best to use unsalted. You can control exactly how much salt is going into your baked goods.

Unsalted butter is also good when making homemade frosting, because again, you can control how much salt is in your recipe. A little salt always enhances the flavor, but with unsalted butter you can control the amount. Salted butter is best for your dinner table- spreading on delicious, homemade bread or a fresh batch of waffles.

The other thing to keep in mind when choosing salted or unsalted butter is health. Obviously, too much salt is not a good thing, and if you’re really trying to watch your sodium intake, it’s best to opt for unsalted butter and add in a little salt later if you wish. Unsalted butter gives you total control of the salt amount.

Now- can you use salted butter instead of unsalted butter if that’s all you have? Absolutely! You can always decrease any extra added salt (adding ½ a teaspoon instead of a whole teaspoon, for example), but most times you don’t even need to do that. Salt really does help enhance flavors, and having a little extra salt isn’t a bad thing! My mom always uses salted butter- and she is famous in the neighborhood for her exceptional baking.

At the end of the day- you do you! If you’re wanting total control of your salt intake because of flavor and/or health, unsalted is definitely the way to go. If you’d rather have a longer shelf life and you like to embrace the saltiness, then don’t feel like you have to commit to unsalted- stick with salted!