I think butter is just about my favorite food – I like a bit of it with just about every bite I eat, but even though I’d like to put on some weight I worry about the health ramifications. What I’ve been using lately is Smart Balance, but reading about it is as discouraging as reading about all the others. I’d like your opinions – that don’t come from the manufacturers!
There is a butter price scandal going on, abd I havent heard anybody talking about it.
Butter wholesale was stable at aro9und 1.50 through 2012-13. Then, it went quickly up to 3.00 in the first few months of 2014, and supermarket prices shot up to around 3.20. Through the rest of '14, it slipped back down to 1.60, but store retail remained the same, around 3.00. By the end of '15, it shot back up to nearly 3.00, and the retail price went up to about 3.60. Since then, the wholesale has dropped back down to today’s 2.00, but store prices remain in the 3.60 neighborhood.
You may have to adjust this chart to show previous years:
If you want to cut butter from your diet, I’d suggest using olive oil rather than a processed butter-substitute product.
I like Land O Lakes unsalted butter. I read a taste test years ago that said it was best for baking, and it has been my go to ever since. I usually keep the salted kind around too, for people who like that better. Tillamook is a favorite brand of mine for pretty much all dairy products, or sometimes I get one of the organic brands like Organic Valley. Or sometimes when I’m at Trader Joe’s I’ll pick up Kerrygold, it is very good. I don’t ever buy margarine or other butter substitutes. I am not knowledgable on the subject but suspect that the real thing is better for us. I admit I drink Coke Zero, so I am not consistent on this subject.
Land O Lakes unsalted butter for me as well. It’s a lifelong habit (uh, vice? addiction?)
I like Land O’Lakes unsalted and Kerrygold. I don’t use margarine, but I will use Crisco as part of the fat when I make frosting.
Land O’Lakes unsalted as well.
Butter has more flavor than the fake stuff, so I use less of it.
Kerrygold. It’s amazing.
I prefer real butter to any butter substitute, but I’m not fussy about brand name in part due to budget reasons. I’ll happily buy the house brand at a store, but it has to be actual butter.
I much prefer salted butter, and AFAICT the advice about buying only unsalted butter is a few decades out of date, one of those things that foodies like to do without any current reason. Store brand is fine, but once in awhile Plugra goes on sale enough that I can justify buying it, and man alive is that ever delicious.
Thread relocated to Cafe Society from IMHO.
I really like the Costco bulk “Euro style” cultured butter, even though it comes unsalted. If I had the choice, you bet I’d choose it salted.
I can get Land O’Lakes regularly. I prefer unsalted, I can always add salt. They also make an olive oil and sea salt version. I tried Kerrygold, a little better flavor but still has high water content like the Land O’Lakes. Except when I want the butter flavor I stick to olive oil and lard.
The reason why unsalted butter is specified in many baking recipes is to control the amount of salt in getting the desired result. I have also read that unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life, and so is more likely to be fresh - there is nothing to disguise any “off” flavor.
Thirded. Kerrygold is the shit and I’m never going back to store brand butter.
Another Kerrygold fan. Costco has the best price I’ve seen.
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Kerrygold tastes like clover and farmland and whole meal bread and bright spring sunshine.
Good French butter (unsalted) tastes like baguettes and white table linen and fine silverware. I like that, too, but give me Kerrygold Irish for everyday use.
More Butter
Also agree with this. Fake butter will kill you faster than cheap lard. Put good olive oil in a shallow dish with a dash of salt and dip your bread in it. Yum.
Do not use olive oil as a substitute in your favorite brownie recipe, however.
Thirded. I drizzle it on my English muffins, bagels and toast with a sprinkle of kosher salt and ground pepper. Now I say, “Butter, who?”