Which butter is better?

[ElizabethB]

My Maternal Grandparents were share croppers. They grew cotton and corn. They also had a few heads of cattle for beef and milk. MawMaw had chickens, geese, guinea hens and a large garden that provided all of their produce. I would spend a couple of weeks with MawMaw and Pop every summer. I Have a deep memory of the best oatmeal I have ever eaten. MawMaw had cream colored ceramic bowls with a maroon band. She would make oatmeal, add a swirl of fresh cream and a pat of fresh butter. I remember MawMaw skimming the cream from the milk and churning butter in an old fashion butter churn. I have never been able to replicate that unique flavor of MawMaw's oatmeal.
Anything other than real butter is not allowed in my kitchen.

 

[ElizabethB]

I keep butter in a butter crock on the counter to keep it spreadable. It has a little water in it to keep it cool enough, but in the summer, I do have to keep an eye on it.

I think it is called a French Butter Keeper. I have one and love it. Every couple of days I change out the water. Once a week I clean the butter reservoir. I really like having room temperature, spreadable butter.

 

[mjd]

Our kitchen is north facing, so the window cill wouldn't work. It is left out on the counter, but during winter our background temperature is around 17 deg C, so buttering soft bread is not an option. Have tried leaving it on a radiator, or warming it in the oven but it just melts. I need to find a technical solution involving a temperature controlled butter dish!

They say "Necessity is the mother of invention"! ;-)

 

[TastyReuben]

ElizabethB - my mom also has her oatmeal with a big pat of butter. Her folks did too.

We also kept a milk cow for many years and churned our own butter. Guess where the churn was frequently kept? In the bathroom! When you were sitting there doing your business, you were expected to give the dasher some action.

 

[CookieMonster]

aka "butter bell"
veddy difficult to find in modern day....

 

[TastyReuben]

aka "butter bell"
veddy difficult to find in modern day....

They sell them at most of the grocery stores around here - that's where I (or I should say, my wife) got mine.

You can order one from Amazon as well.

 

[rascal]

Spreadable butter is getting popular. I bought some. It is kind of a butter hybrid, since it has canola oil in it to make it softer when cold. If I just want to spread some butter on my toast without ripping the bread apart, the spreadable butter is fine with me.

CD

I never even read the canola until I looked at the pic, he'll I'm not using that again. Plain butter thanks.
Never have or will use margarine.

Russ

 

[rascal]

Mines in the pantry, spreadable 9 months of the year. Zap in microwave after that. 10 secs.

Russ

 

[flyinglentris]

Better Batter Butter, not Bitter?

 

[Burt Blank]

I did the math on making your own butter from heavy cream. it costs about twice as much - per pound, as simply buying butter.
I did not include a "value" for the buttermilk by-product, but as I said earlier it really makes good pancakes and waffles.
fresh home made butter is seriously "better" according to my peanut gallery. butter easily picks up 'off flavors' - I wrap in in aluminum foil - which is a much better 'odor barrier' than any plastics.

I saved this table from a 2000 article - results of a California study:
!! - just checked, the link is still active!!
When Put to the Test, Here's How Butter Brands Stack Up

BRAND             PRICE PER POUND   FAT     MOISTURE   MILKFAT SOLIDS         
  
Straus Family 
Creamery           $5.19           85.96%   12.59%     1.42%
Celles sur Belle    $9.98           83.58    15.27      1.12
Luvpak Danish       $9.98           83.2     15.35      1.42
Beurre President    $9.98           82.57    15.68      1.71
Cremerie Classique  $3.39           82.5     16.21      1.27
Plugra              $5.29           82.35    16.30      1.32
Challenge European  $6.38           82.32    16.40      1.2
Horizon Organic     $5.19           81.46    17.62       .895
Berkeley Farms      $3.59           81.24    17.32      1.41
Clover Storneta     $2.99           81.05    17.52      1.39
Challenge           $3.49           81.01    17.28      1.67
Lucerne             $4.29           80.99    17.58      1.39
Tillamook           $4.59           80.95    15.78      1.21
Land O'Lakes        $4.59           80.93    17.78      1.26
Organic Valley      $4.29           80.72    16.74      2.51

From memory every butter on your list with below 82% fat could not be sold within the EU.

 

[Burt Blank]

The Bosch Fridge/Freezer I have sorts out the spreading problem. "With a high-performance temperature management system like Bosch refrigerators offer, milk can be kept in the fridge door for easy access. Butter should be kept in the upper door compartment to ensure it stays cool while remaining easy to spread."
My Croatian wife only uses butter for baking etc. The dress veg etc with olive oil. When she first lived with me I introduced her to the delights of a nob of butter on Jersey Royals. She was unimpressed. The only time the majority eat toast is when they have day old bread (when I first came here toaster were a rarity) that they toast on a BBQ in the summer,or on the wood burner in the winter. Oopp north lard and Kaymak is the Croats bread lubricant of choice.
Hungry Man For a rare treat she would buy Jersey Milk and make Kajmak Spread. Salt is generally added but not always. The Ottomans brought this and many other wonderful dishes here.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M11ZUC8FU6c&ab_channel=shaziya%27srecipes

This is a Proja muffin with home made wild strawberry jam and Kajmak

 

[epicuric]

I have in the past put the amount of butter I intended to use in a small bowl, then put it in the microwave for a few seconds. If a little melts it's fine, as it will resolidify quickly but at a spreadable temperature.

I don't have a microwave!

 

[Morning Glory]

during winter our background temperature is around 17 deg C,

Blimey - you must be made of tough old stuff. Central heating is set here is 24 C (maybe a bit less in the kitchen) which is fine for spreadable butter.

 

[Morning Glory]

I did the math on making your own butter from heavy cream

I worked it out a while back and for UK prices it is not as much as twice as expensive. About a third more I seem to remember. It will vary from country to country.

 

[Morning Glory]

Agreed. I need to find a better way to keep my butter spreadable over winter.

The answer:

Butter Dish - Alfillé

This is a powered temperature controlled butter dish. There are several colour/patterns available - the only thing is, would you be prepared to spend that amount of money on a butter dish?