How to Get Rid of the Strange Freezer Smell in Butter
As someone with three pounds of butter on hand at all times, I constantly alternate my chopsticks with it between the freezer, refrigerator, and oiler. Recently, however, I found myself in an unthinkable quandary: I ran out of oil . I rummaged in the back of the freezer and found the last box behind a half-empty bag of frozen dumplings and chicken broth.
Unfortunately, this oil tasted like rubbing pork and leek dumplings on your elbows for a while. Freezers, especially older ones, have a strange smell – and the longer a greasy, aroma-absorbing substance like oil is in the fragrant environment, the more likely it is to absorb unwanted odors. The best way to prevent this is to use up the frozen butter before it has any unpleasant odor – a couple of weeks at most – but if you rely on a freezer for long-term storage, it’s best to wrap it in something airtight. …
When it comes to butter to freeze, you have several options. It’s fine to wrap individual boxes or sticks in sturdy aluminum foil, but as a last resort, multiple layers of plastic wrap will do. For added insurance, place the wrapped butter in a sturdy freezer storage bag and squeeze out excess air; If you have one, I believe a vacuum sealer would be even better. Any thick material that can be wrapped tightly will do.
After proper packaging, the oil is stored in the freezer for a very long time: half a year – unsalted, a year – salted. The purchase date sticker before freezing will help you keep track. To defrost, simply leave the frozen butter in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a couple of hours. If you are in a rush, microwave each stick for a few seconds on each side and repeat until it is softer to your liking.