How Long Can Margarine Sit Out And Does It Go Bad?

There is a lot of misleading information regarding the difference between margarine and butter. The two products seem to be quite similar and are used to serve the same purpose in your kitchen. However, the two are different because margarine is rich in unsaturated fats and seldom times trans-fat.

This article will let you know all the important stuff regarding margarine. Just like butter, margarine’s shelf life is limited  should not be typically stored at room temperature. To get a detailed insight into margarine, continue reading!

How Long Can Margarine Sit Out?

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Yes, that’s good enough! But only if it retains its quality. If we talk about the sit-out duration of margarine, so it can only be left for two days or three at room temperature conditions. Therefore, we suggest you refrigerate or freeze it to extend its shelf life.

What Happens if Margarine Sits Out Too Long?

So what happens if you have left your margarine pack on your kitchen counter overnight or for too long? Margarine, for sure, will go bad over time, but what will happen when you leave a tub out at  room temperature for a long while?

If your margarine has been sitting out at higher temperatures for an extended duration of time, what will happen is it will lose its true essence, that is, its flavor and consistency gradually. It is especially more evident with an open pack or tub.

What Should You Do If Margarine Is Left Out Too Long?

If margarine is allowed to sit out for too long, it is most likely spoiled. What should you do then? How long can margarine sit out and what should you do to figure out whether your margarine is safe to be consumed or not? Let’s find that out below.

There are a set of conditions that indicate the spoilage of your margarine. You should take a whiff of the air surrounding the tub before taking a peek at the  margarine. If it develops an off odor, appearance, mold appears, or if there is an unusual change in its flavor, you should immediately discard it.

How Long Can Margarine Be In The Car For?

Hey! Did it ever happen to you that you took out all of the bought items after coming back from the supermarket but somehow left margarine inside the car? And then you may be wondering whether you can bring it into your use or not.

Well, it depends on the temperature conditions. If the temperature is warmer, the margarine tub will last only for up to a day or two. However, the margarine tub or pack will stay for much longer  than what we mentioned above at lower temperatures

Does Margarine Go Bad If Not Refrigerated?

Yes, if not refrigerated, your margarine will go bad, and you will eventually witness discoloration, uneven texture, or bad odor. For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration suggests that you should use any opened margarine or butter within a couple of days.s.

Therefore, always opt for a refrigeration strategy to help your margarine tub reach a maximum of shelf life, that is, 4 to 5 months if unopened and a month or two only if it has been opened. You can also freeze it to maximize its shelf life further up to 6 to 8 months.

Does Margarine Go Bad If You Lose Power?

As per the recommendations of USDA, if you experience a power loss, your refrigerator will keep the food items well up to 4 hours with the door being closed most of the time. But what after that duration passes?

The rule of thumb for how long margarine can sit out is that if it has been sitting out at a temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 2 hours, there is no risk to your health and hygiene, and you may consider keeping and using it for later use.

What Temperature Is Safe For Margarine Storage?

What are the ideal temperature conditions to store and preserve your margarine tub for longer? Let’s get that clear now.

Margarine inside the refrigerator should stay at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to allow it to stay well for a couple of months. However, if we talk about the freezer’s temperature, it should be at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It will allow the margarine’s shelf life to last for an even longer duration.

How to Store Margarine

Margarine can also be said as a non-dairy butter or is a butter substitute. In margarine, non-dairy products are used or there is a very little amount of skimmed milk. Margarine can be stored in a cold place and must be consumed within two months of opening.

Margarine has a variety of positive qualities. It is used as an ingredient for making different products like cookies, doughnuts, and pastries. Margarine is composed of poly saturated and monosaturated fats, which help reduce lipoprotein, which is bad cholesterol.

Freeze your margarine

To increase the shelf life of margarine, we need to keep it in the refrigerator; once the seal is open, it must be consumed within two months. The life of margarine can be increased up to 8 months by freezing it.

Keep away from heat sources

We do not use a high temperature to defrost the margarine because it can change its taste and texture. Do thaw the margarine; we keep it in the bowl at room temperature, which can take up to 4 hours.

Store at cool and dry place

Margarine must be stored in a cool and dry place away from sunlight. It must be stored in an airtight sealed container. The direct contact of your margarine with air and sunlight must be avoided; otherwise, it may go rancid, losing its sensory attributes (taste, texture, smell).

Can you Freeze Margarine?

Margarine is a butter substitute that is stored similar to butter. To increase its shelf life, it must be kept in a sealed container in the fridge and kept under 40 F (4 C). Any exposure to the air or bacteria can turn it bad.

When thawing margarine, one thing must be kept in mind high temperature or hot water should not be used for its defrosting. It must be defrosted at room temperature. At room temperature during thawing, it will take 4 hours, and in the fridge, 8 hours are needed.

How Long does Margarine Last?

Unopened margarine lasts up to 3 to 4 months but once opened; it is preferred to consume within two months. The shelf life of margarine can be increased by storing properly. Compared to normal margarine, salted margarine lasts longer and is stored as similar to the unsalted variety. When freezing your margarine, it must be kept in an airtight container or wrapped in freezer-friendly material.

If you are storing it at room temperature, it must be kept away from the sunlight, high temperature and stored in a cold and dark palace. Typically, margarine must not be used after the expiration date mentioned on the label, but if the taste and smell seems good, and there are no signs of any drastic changes in composition or smell, it can be consumed. If exposed to the air or oxygen, the margarine forms harmful bacterial colonies, which turns it rancid within a tangent odor and may cause health hazards, so it must be stored properly.

How to Tell if Margarine is Bad?

Margarine being a butter substitute means it spoils in a way that is similar to butter. The best way to tell if margarine has gone bad is to smell or taste it. A good margarine has a butter-like texture, soft and smooth, but spoiled margarine becomes hard and waxy when gone bad. Margarine has 16% water and is firmly mixed within it.

Ongoing bad it forms water droplets on the surface of the spread in this way we can also tell that our margarine is not good for eating. Due to high saturation fats’ presence ongoing bad, the margarine forms a mold like structure becomes harder than butter water droplets are separated from the spread and discoloration occurs. Margarine showing all the signs mentioned above must not be consumed. This will help you to avoids any serious health hazard.

Sources

• healthline
• everythingwhat
• stilltasty
• realmenuprices