Herbed butter is just so delightful! Soft butter mixed with fresh herbs and little salt crystals is something that’s hard to resist.
Before starting, come and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
In this post, you’ll find a step-by-step guide on how to make this delicious combination. I’ve also added several ideas for what types of herb butters you can make and what flavors you might want to play with.
There’s nothing better than strolling by your herb garden in summer and catching the scent of fresh thyme and basil. It’s truly special and calming!
This is our first spring on our new farm, and we hope to have our herb garden ready this year. I already have little green herb sprouts growing on the windowsill!
Herb Butter Is Practical
Why talk about herb butter at all? Of course, herb butter is delicious, and spread over warm, freshly baked bread, it tastes unbelievably good. But it’s also very practical.
Herb butter is an easy way to preserve summer herbs for a long time. There are many ways to preserve herbs—drying, freeze-drying, freezing—but you can also preserve them in fat. Whether it’s oil or regular butter, fat helps herbs stay fresh for a surprisingly long time.
In winter, buying fresh herbs from the store can get quite expensive. A small bunch of thyme is enough to make you question whether it’s even worth it.
That’s why it’s a great idea to make herb butter in larger quantities during the summer, when herbs are plentiful—whether from your own garden, your grandma’s, or the local market—because it keeps really well.
Storing Herb Butter
Herb butter can be stored at room temperature for a little while. Still, we need to remember that butter is a dairy product, and despite its high fat content, it will eventually spoil.
Kept in the fridge, herb butter lasts a very long time. I’d say weeks. Just make sure no mold develops.
The safest way to store herb butter is in the freezer. This way, it will last for months, maybe even longer.
I do want to emphasize that when it comes to storing herb butter, you need to use common sense. I can’t say exactly how long it will take before it goes bad.
Ingredients Needed
Herbs – My favorite is thyme, but use whatever your garden offers and whatever flavors you like.
Salt – Use unrefined sea salt. Celtic sea salt has the richest mineral content, and it’s what I use at home. If you don’t want large salt crystals in your butter, you can also use fine Himalayan salt. You don’t have to use salt at all.
Butter – Don’t mess around with fake butter. Use real, full-fat farm-style butter. Margarine and other plant-based butter substitutes won’t work. I also recommend using unsalted butter so that you can control both the amount and the quality of salt.
How to Make Herb Butter
Take the butter out of the fridge to soften. It shouldn’t be melted or runny, just room temperature, otherwise, it’ll be hard to mix in the herbs.
Finely chop the herbs. The finer you chop them, the more flavor they’ll release, and the more evenly flavored your final herb butter will be, without intense herb clumps.
Place the softened butter in a small bowl. Add the salt and finely chopped herbs.
Mix everything together thoroughly.
Find a suitable container for storage, for example, a glass airtight container. You can also make herb butter logs, using wax paper or parchment paper. Once it hardens in the fridge, you can slice thin, round sections from the log and place them straight onto bread.
Store the herb butter in the fridge or freezer.
FAQ
Can herb butter be made with dried herbs?
Yes, it can, but dried herbs have a different flavor than fresh ones.
How to add garlic for garlic butter?
Garlic herb butter is absolutely delicious. To add garlic, finely grate it or use a garlic press, then simply mix it into the butter.
Where to Use Herb Butter
Bread and toast spread – Spread it over homemade bread or toast. It’s especially amazing on warm, fresh bread. It pairs very well with French bread and garlic bread!
Seasoning for roast chicken – If you’re making roast chicken, carefully spread the herb butter under the skin on the chicken breast before baking.
Grilled corn – Brush corn on the cob with herb butter before grilling.
Rich omelet – Add a touch of zing to your morning omelet by spreading some herb butter over it.
Different Herb Butter Flavor Ideas
There are so many different ways to make herb butter. Maybe you’ll find inspiration here to start mixing and matching your own flavors in the future.
- Fresh Garlic + Parsley
- Fresh lemon juice + Thyme
- Chili + Lime
- Garlic + Rosemary
- Sun-dried Tomatoes + Black Pepper
I hope this post gave you ideas and inspiration for making your own herb butter, and that you’ll soon see just how quick and easy it really is!
Easy Homemade Herb Butter Recipe – Perfect for Bread
Herbed butter is just so delightful! Soft butter mixed with fresh herbs and little salt crystals is something that’s hard to resist.
Ingredients
- 200g of butter
- A handful of fresh herbs (thyme is my favorite)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Take the butter out of the fridge to soften. It shouldn’t be melted or runny, just room temperature, otherwise, it’ll be hard to mix in the herbs.
- Finely chop the herbs. The finer you chop them, the more flavor they’ll release, and the more evenly flavored your final herb butter will be, without intense herb clumps.
- Place the softened butter in a small bowl. Add the salt and finely chopped herbs.
- Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Find a suitable container for storage, for example, a glass airtight container. You can also make herb butter logs, using wax paper or parchment paper. Once it hardens in the fridge, you can slice thin, round sections from the log and place them straight onto bread.
- Store the herb butter in the fridge or freezer.
