Butter

Use European butter — French, in particular

Ordinary supermarket butter is made with sweet cream and has a lot of added water, which dilutes its flavor. European butter, or butter labeled “European-style,” is more expensive, but it’s also, frankly, better, says Sally Schneider, author of A New Way to Cook (Artisan, $25, www.amazon.com), adding that you can’t go wrong with France when browsing imported butters. Look for the letters “A.O.C.” or “appellation d’origine controlee” on the label of French butter for a government-approved guarantee of origin and quality. Schneider especially praises the quality of butter from Normandy, including beurre d’Isigny and beurre de Charentes. If you can’t easily find French butter, Schneider recommends the European-style Vermont Cultured Butter, from the Vermont Butter and Cheese Company (www.vtbutterandcheeseco.com).

Avoid salted butter

Use unsalted butter, then add salt to the dish according to your taste. “Salt masks all flavors,” Schneider says, “and it’s a preservative. So salted butter stays on the shelf longer, and it tends not to have that fresh cream flavor.”

Keep it fresh

Always look for butter with the latest expiration date, Schneider advises, no matter what type it is. Salted butter can keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month; unsalted, for 2 weeks. Also, always keep butter covered, don’t leave it on the counter for longer than 2 hours, and keep it away from strong-smelling foods, like onions, as butter tends to absorb flavors from foods stored around it. “Or else freeze it,” says Schneider. “Butter can keep frozen for up to 6 months.” To check its freshness, smell your butter. “Butter should smell like fresh cream if it’s good,” Schneider says. “It will begin to get a faint, cheesy aroma when it goes bad.” Taste is telling, too. “If it has a flat flavor, like cardboard,” says Schneider, “it’s too old.”

Recipe

Radishes with Butter and Salt