Will freezing Smart Balance Buttery Spread harm it?
We always throw our margarine (or “buttery spread”, or yellow-plastic-like-substance, whatever they call it these days) in the freezer after purchasing it, then move a tub into the refrigerator when we’re about to need it. It’s worked fine for us for many years.
I realize that’s just anecdotal evidence, and worth about what you’d expect.
Is Smart Balance one of the fat-free (or low-fat) margarines? I don’t think you can freeze that kind. We tried it once a long time ago and it just thaws into a liquid mess…the fat in it is replaced by water in emulsion and freezing completely destroys that. I can’t remember the brand we had, though.
My tub of Smart Balance Light says:
Keep Refrigerated DO NOT FREEZE!
This spread has a very low fat content, freezing may cause grainy texture and/or separation
(physical separation of oil and water is not harmful in any way). Store in Refrigerator up to 1 year.
Not sure about the non-light version.
I’ve frozen it, no problems that I could see with separation.
Butter and margarine keep so long in the fridge (six or eight months, maybe longer), why the need to freeze?
Yeah, especially since the Smart Balance warning listed says it lasts for a year in the fridge (which is pretty scary in its own right). Do you need to more than a year’s supply of imitation butter?