I know, I know, saving butter wrappers might seem ultra-frugal, but frugality is honestly not the main reason I save my butter wrappers! You’d be surprised how many different uses for butter wrappers you might find around your own kitchen!
I should note that our family goes through quite a bit of butter each week — usually close to 2 pounds (8 sticks)!
I use it for baking, for cooking foods in our cast iron pans, for buttering vegetables, for oatmeal, pancakes, and waffles, and of course, on all the bread and rolls we eat for toast, sandwiches, or just as a side dish to our meals.
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And yes, I save my butter wrappers!
As you know, I’m fairly frugal — and I’m also quite resourceful in the sense that I LOVE finding another use for things I already have in the house!
Our butter wrappers are one of those things I have found a “second use” for — and although I’ve been saving them for YEARS, I’ve never thought to share the idea on the blog until now!
Let me explain…
Because we use so much butter, I have a “system” to assure we always have several softened sticks of butter available at all times.
- I keep one stick on the butter dish, in the cabinet next to the stove.
- I have 2 or 3 additional sticks on a plate in our pantry so they are always at room temperature.
- There are at least 4-6 sticks in the fridge (useful for when I need cold butter or for replacing the softened pantry butter)
- Our freezer is stocked with several pounds of butter at all times (it’s always on my Costco list!)
Whenever we finish off the butter on the butter dish, I replace it with one of the room-temperature sticks of butter from the pantry… however, as you might assume, room temperature butter is VERY soft, so some of the butter sticks to the sides of the wrappers.
Being the frugal person I am, I usually take a knife and scrape as much of the butter off the wrapper as possible.
Once I scrape the majority of the butter off the wrapper, I fold the wrapper in half and add it to the small stash of butter wrappers I save in my lazy susan — next to many of my other baking supplies.
Whenever I need to grease a pan or dish or if I want to rub a layer of grease into my cast iron pans, I simply grab a butter wrapper and get to work.
My hands stay clean, I can easily get into small corners of my pans, the food never sticks, I don’t need to use the sprays (which my USA pans and cast iron pans say not to use), and I don’t need to buy anything extra or spend any extra money!
Win-Win!
Of course, this frugal tip will not work for all families — if you aren’t a big baker, or if your family just doesn’t go through butter as quickly as we do, you might not have as many uses for butter wrappers and this tip probably won’t sense for you.
The point of this post is NOT to say that everyone should save their butter wrappers… instead, I hope it might help you to think of other ways you can better utilize different resources in and around your home!
- Maybe it saving and repurposing glass jars to organize your pantry or your office.
- Maybe it’s saving pickle jars over the winter to can your own refrigerator pickles every summer.
- Maybe it’s saving yogurt and cottage cheese containers to package up food for the freezer (or to give to friends).
- Maybe it’s NOT saving anything because your space is limited… and NOT letting yourself feel guilty about it!
Whatever the case, I hope this light-hearted post will encourage and inspire you to look for ways to reuse and repurpose items you already have in your home — versus spending time and money buying something new!
More Butter Posts:
Apparently I’m fairly passionate about butter as I’ve shared other posts in the past! 🙂
A super quick tip to soften butter (if you don’t like leaving several sticks sitting at room tempurature)
How to make your own butter (really fun for the kids!)
The big debate on butter versus margarine — read the comments! (I switched over to only butter in 2013)
I’d love to know… do you save butter wrappers? If so, what are your favorite uses for butter wrappers?
Are there any other sort-of-strange things you save and reuse for something else around your home?
Brenda says
I use the butter wrapper to grease the inside lid of my bread maker, but I’ve never thought about keeping them on standby for my other baking! I use the Julia Child’s recipe with 6 cups flour and it always brims. There’s just two of us, but it lasts several days of sandwiches for work.
Andrea says
yes, I love using butter wrappers for various baking projects — and I feel so “resourceful” when I don’t just toss them in the trash š
your bread sounds wonderful!
Kathy Emery says
Eggs should be refrigerated if they have been washed, as in store-bought eggs. If you have chickens and don’t wash their eggs, these can be left out.
Andrea says
yes!
We get our eggs from friends at church and they do not need to be refrigerated unless they are washed (they usually do not wash them). Kind of weird to keep them at room temperature, but also nice when we have many dozen
Heather Coffman says
So I use cereal boxes with a large corner cut off to organize lids and cards etc..
The newish square twist tie things to clean grouting, cracks etc…
I often use butter wrappers to butter the top of my breads.
When I am making cheese cake I will leave my cream cheese on counter over night (I learned this in a bakery I worked at 20+ yrs)
I also will wipe butter off paper and then wrap homemade cheese in paper to age.
Paper bags with rips get made in to fire starters or turned, decorated and folded into smaller gift bags or paper.
With a little thought and imagination there is no a lot things that can’t be repurposed
Andrea says
These are all such great ideas — thanks for sharing Heather!
Carla r. says
I must say I was surprised at how many didn’t know this little trick mom gram and great gram all used this but I find the butter paper has changed and in the past may have used it like parchment not sure now . Mom gram and great gram would fold and store in fridge
Andrea says
Even as I was writing this post, I wondered if it would really be “new” information for anyone — apparently it was! š
Linne says
Cheese Boxes from 2 lb Velveeta. All over the house. Some with a top from a cut piece of cardboard. Covered with pretty Contact plastic. Sew on a big button. Thread a ponytail band through a small hole in lid . hitch it end over end then put over button.. Needing to Winnow out the house. Way to much stuff saved &lost. I left butter out too near my dog. Oopsie. I save pieces of clothes pins &put them together. Mix colors pretty. My folks born in ww1 dad served in ww2.
Make do or do without.
I use sweet pickle juice for canned Beets. I need to make some for Thanksgiving. Yes I could write a book.
Andrea says
on yes, the Velveeta cheese boxes — I don’t even buy that stuff anymore but I have boxes saved from years ago. Those make EXCELLENT drawer organizers!
Christina Munoz says
You are the only person I know to do this – but I think it is genius! As is keeping a few sticks of butter in the pantry so you always have softened butter. I frequently pass up baking recipes because I don’t have softened butter and I hate waiting for it to soften. Thanks for sharing!
Andrea says
haha — thanks Christina! The softened butter in the pantry definitely comes in handy on big baking days!
Kathy Williams says
Have been using butter wrappers for years. My mom did it. Learned it in ghe fgreat depression. She also washed her aluminum foil and folded it and tucked it away for reuse. That I dont do!. But yes on all the butter ideas and practices. I do them too. Butter bells are great! Look them up. Butter does not need to be refrigerated. Neither do eggs!
Kathy
Andrea says
I actually have a butter bell — it’s a real antique and I love it!
Katherine Wilkinson says
Looking forward to future ideas. Thank you!
Katherine Wilkinson says
Great ideas from first to last! Milked cows, made our own butter. Will incorporate these great tips. Love Costco butter. Interesting cereal bag use. Just two in household but always looking for ways to save and reuse.
Andrea says
Costco butter is great (and a good price too!)
Glad you enjoyed the tips!
Lorili Design says
I also save butter wrappers. I freeze my butter. Only keep one stick in a butter dish at a time. Not really any butter on my papers from freezer. I use for rewrapping cheese out of its plastic. And between layers of veggie burgers..
Andrea says
yes, if you’re taking your butter directly from the freezer, you won’t have much left on the wrapper — but good idea to use them for between burgers or with cheese!
K says
In over thirty years, I have only had butter turn once. I keep it on the counter in a butter dish. And I also keep the same back ups as the author (in the pantry at room temp and extras in the freezer). Only once did it smell sour.
Andrea says
good to know!
I’ve never had butter go bad, but we do go through it very quickly! š
Jennifer says
Oh my goodness, some great tips throughout this post and comments!!
Rose Atwater says
YES! I love this! We keep buttery at room temp all the time too. I reuse my wrappers a little differently. I save them and use them in place of parchment to line baking pans. Just spread out and overlap the wrappers until the bottom of a pan is covered and then peel it off and toss it out when I’m done baking!
Andrea says
interesting — good tips!
Natalia says
I never considered saving the butter wrappers, but I do save the plastic or foam containers that mushrooms come in, and the plastic containers from Costco’s muffins. I like that they are square and stack nicely. I use them to store or give away produce from my garden.
Andrea says
yes! I save the mushroom, strawberry, and tomato containers to give garden produce away in! And the Costco muffin containers are a fantastic size for loaves of bread too!
Lorili Design says
Me,too!
Elizabeth says
Yes, I do it! I got it from my Grandma Pane. Some of the best ideas come from the Depression generation.
Andrea says
yup, those women really knew how to use EVERYTHING they had!
Debbie says
This is a great idea! I don’t bake as often as you do but if I did this would really benefit me. What I do try to re-use are the containers from soups and to-go boxes. When I buy soup from the grocery deli because I’m on a time pinch and want soup for dinner the containers are very reusable so I wash it and save them. The same goes for the to-go boxes from restaurants that are more durable. I either re-use them for when we have visitors and I’d like them to take home leftover food from what we served them, or food to put away in our freezer.
Debbie says
Yes! I do the same thing! I have done it for as long as I remember baking on my own, so I think I must have picked it up from my mom when she taught me how to bake. I have a ziplock bag full of wrappers in my fridge. I had to teach my kids to save the butter wrappers when my oldest started doing some baking on his own.
Sandra &Emma says
First those rolls looks good send me an dozen and put the butter wrappers on top and line the box. I have my knifes ready with jam and bacon. Those wired bag tries I used them to roll my hair when I need tight curls and cereal boxes and bags after you wash the bags We used them for gifts that kids be like Oh What? And the little ones are excited because they are allowed to rip it open and then most ate recycled into stencil when they are in an drawing mood and keeps them busy until they are change their minds. And butter wrappers can be used to bake on an hamburger bun or oven baked vegetables or cake like parchment paper.happy baking.
Jennifer says
Awesome tips, too! Thank you!
Andrea says
haha — thanks! the rolls ARE good š
Thanks for the tips!
Samantha says
Genius tip!
But the real question is how you enjoy all that yummy bread & butter & still stay so slim!! š
Andrea says
haha — well I eat a TON of fruits and veggies too! And we entertain a lot, so some of the calories are passed off on our guests! š
Christina says
I use them the same way, for greasing pans and bakeware. I also use them when I press out homemade hamburger patties. I have a little Dollar Tree hamburger press and I put one on each side, so the meat doesn’t stick to the press, then leave one on both sides, stack them, and put them in freezer bags to freeze for later. They thaw and come out perfectly to grill!
I also save cereal bags from the boxes and use them to gift bread, or store many things. I also use the cereal bags for making crumbs for recipes. It’s so much firmer to roll and smash up to make crumbs inside.
I completely laughed out loud seeing your title and totally relating!
Andrea says
good idea with the cereal bags (they are really thick and sturdy). We almost never eat cereal, but I do still buy it for scotcharoos. I should start saving those bags!
Lorili Design says
Yes!
Jen says
I have done this in the past, but since we’re living in the HOT south now, the cupboard/pantry bar is more like soup most of the year. Our microwave has a very handy dandy “soften” button that I use most of the time now. Also, I make my own “spreadable” butter” but mixing one pound of butter with one cup oil. Mix them until well blended in my Kitchen-Aid (it takes a while!) and keep them in the fridge. This way, we always have “spreadable” butter that doesn’t need to sit out on the counter.
Andrea says
so many people have mentioned the spreadable butter concept — I feel I need to try it now!
Rhonda says
Never thought of that – but is is pretty genius!
Also about the comments below – we have also always kept butter at room temperature here in WI. It gets used fairly quickly (but would probably go bad if left for a long time). I also buy salted butter, and I would think the unsalted butter would go bad quicker?
Stel says
Me too! And I use it as fire starters, together with yea bags, coffee filters, cooking oil filters, etc.
Barbara says
I use lots of butter in baking also but, about a year ago, I saw spreadable butter with olive oil and sea salt at Aldi. Since I have high cholesterol, I thought I would give it a try and we love it. We use this for toast, baked potatoes, pancakes, etc. I have also read about mixing your own butter and olive oil 50/50 to make this spreadable, healthier butter.
Harold says
For several years now, McDonalds uses “liquid butter” on their muffins and for their whole “poached on the grill” eggs for the McMuffin sandwiches. To make butter liquid, a 1 lb. block of
real butter is microwaved till about half of it melts then shaken so that the warm part melts the cooler parts. Result? Squeezable butter! (I would cube it, put it in a squeeze bottle to 1/2 half full, nuke till melted, fill other half with cubed butter and shake till consistency I needed.) BTW: McMuffin eggs are whole eggs broken into buttered forms on a buttered grill under a steaming cover with about a shot glass amount of water. Similar cover is used for the grilled chicken with a cooking ring big enough for 6 pcs. chicken filetsā¦
Andrea says
that’s interesting… I feel like I may have to try the liquid butter thing soon!
Andrea says
Thanks for the suggestions! Several people are mentioning “spreadable butter’ so I either need to try it myself or start looking at Aldi!
Margaret says
It’s fine. It’s protein that goes “off”, and there’e virtually no protein left it butter, as it all gets washed off in the buttermilk. It doesn’t spoil.
I keep butter out all year in a non-A/C house in Indiana. Above about 95F I do put it in the fridge, because it gets SO soft it looks unappetizing, but it’s still safe to eat.
Andrea says
yes, thanks for the clarification, Margaret!
Kim says
I am always astonished when I hear of keeping butter at room temperature. It sounds unsafe…..but many people do this.
Great reuse idea!
Julie says
According to my health inspector if can sit out. It MIGHT go rancid and taste not so good, but will not hurtbyou or make you sick.
Andrea says
yeah, it won’t cause health issues — and it would really take a LONG time to go rancid!
Andrea says
it’s totally safe!
calliope says
Yeap! I do the same even if we don’t really use that much butter where I live (south Greece = LOTS of olive oil that my family actually produces)
I do use it whenever I bake something sweet and I use the wrapper to grease the pan and then I throw the wrapper in the compost bin I keep in my garden. No waste here!
Another thing I reuse is small rectangle containers (ex from feta cheese) to bring breakfast or lunch to work.
Andrea says
yum… the olive oil sounds amazing! Someday, I need to come visit you — your hometown sounds lovely!
Calliope says
We have sea for swimming, olive and orange trees, ancient history and yummy food. Do come! My house can sit your whole clan and I will get to finally meet my all time favorite girl (Nora!)
Andrea says
it sounds glorious! If we ever feel ambitious enough to cross the ocean with our kiddos, I’ll look you up!
Linda T says
I use cardboard food boxes for organizing everything! I just stick a piece of paper on the front of it and write a list of whatās in the box, and then use it to corral like items together in my storage pantry and large master closet. Old cereal boxes nicely hold all my birthday supplies like candles, extra goodie bags, etc.
Andrea says
I can always find a use for a good cardboard box! š
Michelle says
I save cereal and cracker boxes at Christmastime to wrap soft items such as pajamas, socks, and other clothing items. It usually surprises the recipient at first but once I explain they didnāt really get āCheeriosā for Christmas they laugh and tear open the box to see what they really got.