How to Melt Butter

Melting butter may seem like an elementary task, but unless you perform this cooking technique carefully, you may end up burning the butter, rendering it unusable. Follow these steps to melt butter the right way and enjoy the flavor it adds to the dish you're preparing.

Instructions

1. Remove the wrapper from the butter and place it in a small saucepan.

2. Turn your stovetop burner to a low temperature and place the saucepan containing the butter on top of it.

3. Watch the butter carefully to prevent it from burning, boiling or spilling over the edge of the pan.

4. Take the saucepan off the stove immediately once the butter has melted, and transfer the melted butter to a bowl or dish. Allow the butter to cool slightly before using.

5. User the melted butter in recipes of your choice.

Tips & Warnings

• Pay close attention to the butter as you're melting it, because butter melts when its internal temperature reaches 82.4°F to 96.8°F. This means it will melt fast, so be prepared to remove it from the stove quickly.

• While melting butter on the stove is the preferred method, because it gives you more control over the process, you can also melt butter in a microwave. Place the butter in a microwave-safe container without a cover and melt it using medium-low heat for 20 to 40 seconds. Monitor the melting process to ensure the butter doesn't spill out of its container.

• Do not leave melted butter in the hot saucepan once you've removed the pan from the stove or it may burn.