Butter can be either salt or unsalted. It simply depends on whether salt is added during the manufacturing process.
Here's a breakdown:
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Salted Butter: Butter that has salt added to it. The amount of salt varies between brands, but it typically contributes to flavor and acts as a preservative.
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Unsalted Butter: Butter that has no salt added during its production. This is pure butterfat, water, and milk solids.
The choice between salted and unsalted butter usually comes down to personal preference and the recipe being used. Unsalted butter is often preferred in baking because it allows the baker to control the total amount of salt in the recipe. Salted butter is often used as a spread or in recipes where the added salt flavor is desired.