# Do use margarine for anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216 "2018-05-31T19:41:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/41 "2018-06-02T01:45:13Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I do seem to recall buying margarine one time in the last 25 years; we had a recipe for something (I believe it was some sort of dessert) that specified that it had to be made with margarine, not butter, so we bought some. But that would have been 10 or 15 years ago at least. The back of the matzoh meal box calls for melted margarine in the matzoh balls, but that’s for religious dietary reasons, not for flavor. The savvy Son of Israel cook will use a neutral vegetable oil, or, better, home-rendered chicken fat. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/42 "2018-06-02T01:47:04Z")
> [@seal\_cleaner](#): > > It tastes totally different to me. I love butter, can’t stand margarine. I’m curious if you are old enough to remember margarine from the 50s and 60s. It was unquestionably different in taste and I didn’t like it. Since then the flavor has improved, I can still tell the difference, but it doesn’t bother me that much now. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/43 "2018-06-02T01:57:23Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > We have a tub of **I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter**. We like the taste and it spreads really thin for grilled cheese sandwiches. Heck, I use _ **spray** _ **I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter**. I like the way it tastes and it is easy to place evenly on things like broccoli and small potatoes. The only thing we use real butter for is fresh bread. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/44 "2018-06-02T03:01:02Z")
Has anyone, anywhere ever believed that **I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter** is butter? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/45 "2018-06-02T03:28:05Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > Has anyone, anywhere ever believed that **I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter** is butter? Yes, exactly one - the person who named it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/46 "2018-06-05T23:14:32Z")
I have friends who keep butter out unrefrigerated so it spreads easier, but I’m a little suspicious of this practice. I’ll do it with margarine, though. Or I would, but no stores in my neighborhood sell margarine. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/47 "2018-06-06T00:19:04Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > I have friends who keep butter out unrefrigerated so it spreads easier, but I’m a little suspicious of this practice. Butter does fine at room temperature for at least a week or two in my experience. I only refrigerate what is not currently being used. Otherwise, butter is always in the butter dish. You can even buy yourself a butter bell which protects your butter from air with water. They’re a bit too much fuss for me when a butter dish works fine and I always get through my butter before it gets funky. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/48 "2018-06-06T00:44:44Z")
Fridges sold in New Zealand used to have a butter conditioner, a built-in container that was kept at a warmer temperature. Now I use two different types of butter, one is churned more or something so that it is [spreadable straight from the fridge](https://www.mainland.co.nz/products/butter/mainland-buttersoft.html) (it is still pure butter), the other is a traditional block of butter that gets used for cooking. I don’t mind some of the butter blend spreads that have a mix of butter and some other substance to keep it spreadable but I don’t use it. For marg itself, I’d rather have a dry sandwich than use marg. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/49 "2018-06-06T10:37:00Z")
I grew up with butter, but whenever we visited the grandparents (Christmas & Easter), I noticed that they used some vintage margarine that was a bright, bright yellow (it looked like it was carved right from the sun). In my yout I decided the brighter stuff was better, and occasionally begged Mom to buy us the ‘good’ stuff. She never did. mmm ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/50 "2018-06-06T10:42:39Z")
We use butter for cooking and baking, and margarine on our bread (but butter on our crumpets and scones). I grew up with margarine. Of course, I can make my own butter better and cheaper at home 🙂 (not really - Kerrygold for life, yo!) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/51 "2018-06-06T10:45:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Butter does fine at room temperature for at least a week or two in my experience. Yep - it’s fine to take it camping without refrigeration. In fact, for me it’s margarine that seems to go funny - not bad, just less pleasant - without cooling. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/52 "2018-06-06T12:45:27Z")
We had both butter and margarine at home as a kid. I think for the reasons most have mentioned - margarine as a tad cheaper and it was thought to be healthier. Growing up I thought they were interchangeable. Once when I went home years later and put margarine on my toast could barely choke down that one bite. That stuff is vile when you’ve been off if for a while. Only butter for me, but I don’t use it all that much. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/53 "2018-06-06T14:10:07Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Heck, I use _ **spray** _ **I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter**. I like the way it tastes and it is easy to place evenly on things like broccoli and small potatoes. The only thing we use real butter for is fresh bread. We always liked the convenience too. Now we have little kids who insist on spraying it themselves, and so we use nothing but. I still use real butter when baking. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/54 "2018-06-06T14:31:58Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > We always liked the convenience too. Now we have little kids who insist on spraying it themselves, and so we use nothing but. I still use real butter when baking. Is that a pump or is it some aerosol-type mixture? Thnx. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216/55 "2018-06-06T17:46:32Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Is that a pump or is it some aerosol-type mixture? Thnx. I’m afraid I’m not a margarine engineer (margarineer?), but it just looks like a pump to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-use-margarine-for-anything/815216.md?page=2)