I use unsalted only when specified. As far as eating butter on a daily basis, I find unsalted tasteless. If you use salted butter, cut back on the salt in the rest of the recipe. This is just my opinion, though.....I'm far from an expert! LOL

I use unsalted for everything, and add my own sea or kosher salt when needed. It makes a subtle difference, to my palate. I don't use butter as a spread, but unsalted would probably taste pretty bland and icky.

I used to use salted for everything. Then, when I started doing a lot of baking I bought unsalted. Now I only use unsalted. And IMO it does not taste "bland and icky", but it does taste "sweet and creamy". And I can control the amount of salt I add when I find it necessary (and I love salt!).

I always use unsalted - have hypertension.

I use the salted butter. Just each person's preference I think.

Sue

I use salted for everything.

I use salted for everything as well.

Unsalted used to cost more than salted, and never come on sale.
Now, unsalted is offered as well, when butter is on sale, and I buy both.

The theory for cooking with unsalted butter is that it's more perishable than salted (salt is a preservative) so it should be fresher when you buy it.

In practice, I find the exact opposite is true. BECAUSE there is a higher turnover of salted butter, and BECAUSE unsalted is more perishable, I've several times gotten pounds of unsalted that have 'gone over' so to speak, whereas I've never gotten bad salted butter.

It's really a choice you can make--either will work in your recipe, you just need to add or subtract salt as needed for taste.

Unsalted all the time for me... I am very sodium sensitive.

I second what donna loomis said. I love the taste of unsalted butter. It tastes like the butter my aunt used to make straight from the cow. Very creamy. That's all we use now with Harry's heart problems and I can control the salt better that way. I also use it for baking cookies. Can't tell any difference.

I read an article not long ago about salted vs. non-salted and it said more people are using the unsalted butter these days. Just don't leave it out on the counter like you would salted butter, because it goes rancid faster. Like Sue said, it's a matter of what you like.

Unsalted always.

I love the taste of UNsalted butter. To me, it tastes like cream that I have whipped and not sweetened. Never buy the salted.

If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt a recipe calls for. Salt is "suppose" to make sweet things sweeter (in moderation). So I use unsalted.

Vickey-MN

Salt was originally added to butter to retard spoilage. I use regular salted butter. Most recipes include some salt, so I omit it and use the salted butter. I figure it comes out even.

I love unsalted, especially for baking.

IMHO if it doesn't specify, you'd use salted. Maybe ask in the cooking forum...pretty sure that's what they've said in the past though, seems like that question has been asked before at CF.

I use salted, and if the recipe calls for unsalted, I reduce the salt in the recipe.

It really varies to the person. I used to use salted all the time. But then, that's pretty much all that was available unless you wanted that gawdawful margarine. Then I made some mud bars and the frosting was so dang salty it was not edible and I only put in the pinch required in the recipe as I had always done. Couldn't eat it. Was bringing them to work so I made another batch omitting the salt. Still pretty salty. I think the salt varies in butter at times unless I all of a sudden got more sensitive to it and I have always been a salt freak. I'd put salt on ham.

So at that time unsalted butter was out and some of the shows said to use unsalted butter for baking which I did. Then I figured why bother buying both so I just bought unsalted. To me the taste is fine, again, especially compared to that imitation grease. I'll go without rather than eat that stuff.

The ratio of salted to unsalted in most stores around here is equalizing as time goes on. Still probably 2-1 most of the time but it used to be cases of salted and one facing of unsalted. Cost now is the same.

Theoretically, most recipes unless specified shouldn't make a big difference. If I'm making something with a lot of butter in it though I'd assume the salt in the butter could make a difference. I'm a lot more cautious since throwing out that good fudge!

If for instance you're frying potatoes in butter, well the potatoes can always use the salt so do what you want. Seems to me baking is where the difference would arise.

For health reasons, we do not use butter in our house. We stock soft and stick oleomargarine, and use mostly the soft. Either margarine has worked in our recipes.

I buy good quality unsalted butter--Irish butter in particular is fabulous. Very creamy and delicious. I love butter. . .!

When I used to make my own butter, I always made it unsalted. Now that I have to buy it, I buy salted. Hmmm now I am curious as to why :)

There was a time, I was very very poor. I'd just left my home and had to use the foodbank. No shame there. Sometimes, they would have cases of quarts of whipping cream and I would use it to make butter, and freeze it.

When I grew up in Germany, we had only unsalted butter available at the stores. The first time I had toast with butter and jelly here in Oklahoma I almost spit my first bite out.

Needless to say, I didn't have toast with jelly again for ages...

Finally found unsalted butter, and breathed a sigh of relief. I only buy unsalted. It tastes nice and creamy and works fine in all recipes.

Moni

From what I was taught, unsalted butter was supposed to be used in baking recipes. The salt was supposed to be measured seaprately.

Granted, if it is a newer recipe, the baker may not be using that as a "given", but I would think most professional bakers and published recipes would still usually call for unsalted.

Personally, I don't think it will matter all that much. You can look up how much salt is in salted butter (although I think brands may vary and that may be where the problem lies), and adapt your recipe proportionally if you want, but generally I use both and don't really notice the difference.