Butter-the essence of cooking

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Rick F.)

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 17:25:51 GMT

My understanding is that salt extends the shelf life of butter as well as (potentially) masking off flavors. Unsalted butter is always preferred for baking because (as somebody famous said, "Cooking is art. Baking is science.") the use of salted butter would add an unpredictable variable.

We switch back and forth between the two depending on what we like: for instance, I always like salted butter on toast.

I don't know if this is the proper way to go about it, but if I need clarified butter, I simply melt a bit more than the recipe calls for, let it stand a while so the water & milk solids settle out, then chill it. When it's firmly set, I simply remove it from whatever it was in and remove the unwanted stuff.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (dweller)

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 16:29:26 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by michaelgemmell

Trader Joe's in the SF Bay Area carries the Plugra, as well as Kerrygold. The K comes in salted in most stores and both salted and unsalted in a few. You're right when you say salting butter keeps it wholesome longer. That Kerrygold is $2.39 for 1/2 # every day. Another market here puts Président French butter on sale, and I love it too.
[SNIP]

Kerrygold is close to a budget butter in the UK!

Doug

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (tmiles)

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 14:50:25 GMT

I have enjoyed Kate's too. I used to buy it at Stop and Shop when it was on sale. They don't carry it anymore, and the clerk said that he thinks that they went out of business. Perhaps I could have helped by buying it at full price!!

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Hode)

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 13:55:55 GMT

Each year as we vacation on Cape Cod we treat ourselves to REAL butter made in Maine called Kate's Homemade butter. After all there are no calories in food when your on vacation. We have enjoyed Kate's on breads and seafood all aspects of cooking and eating.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (tmiles)

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 13:35:01 GMT

I came into some more info today. Lee Mielke, writing in the 31 Jan Country Folks, says that more rBst will be available soon. Monsanto has been allocating Posilac, their brand of recombinant bovine somatotropin since Dec 2003. Existing customers can order up to 115% of their historical average, but new customers are still out of luck. There should be plenty of rBst available when a new Georgia plant opens in 2006.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (michaelgemmell)

Thu, 13 Jan 2005 21:02:12 GMT

Thank you for your clarification, tmiles, and also for understanding I was not trying to start an argument. Let's hear it for consumer choices!

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (tmiles)

Thu, 13 Jan 2005 10:40:58 GMT

I have moved to the edge of the farm scene over the last few years, but I am still on a lot of farm related mailing lists. I have only a few, long ago,college biology classes under my belt, and a good part of my bovine knowledge has faded from memory. To the best of my recollection, Monsanto after years of research, invented an injectable drug that fooled the cow's system into producing more milk. Good cow management is required, because the cow needs to eat better in order to have the biological resources to make the extra milk. All the drug does is to raise the level of a naturally occuring hormone in the cow. If one were to do a blood test on a group of cows, one would not be able to tell if high BST levels were due to good production breeding, or a little help from Monsanto. The public in general demands cheap milk and BST helps to make it possible. I think that the current "stand off" serves the public well. A dairy can sell me milk from untreated cows, without making claims that the milk is any different than from treated cows. I can then, as a consumer, choose between my options.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (michaelgemmell)

Wed, 12 Jan 2005 19:00:10 GMT

tmiles, I'm confused. I understood that rBST is an artificial growth hormone. By saying "if the rBST in your milk is 'natural' or comes from a treated cow" suggests to me you're saying rBST is something natural found in cow's milk. If that's the case, why would Monsanto manufacture it? Have I misunderstood you?

In the SF Bay area, there are 3 dairy sources that say they do not include rBST. The Clover-Stornetta products say simply "This milk is from cows not treated with rBST" while the Trader Joe's cottage cheese says pretty much the same thing with the disclaimer saying there's "no significant difference" between products with and without rBST. I believe TJs gets their dairy products from Berkeley Farms. Is this a matter of trust only? Perhaps, but these dairies have earned my trust. Their products taste better than those including rBST. I can't say that I have never had rBST, since I eat in restaurants and travel, but I won't willingly buy products containing rBST.

Monsanto? Gee, I have no particular axe to grind, but it does remind me how, when the state of California banned the use of a gasoline additive after finding it in many municipal water supplies, the Canadian manufacturer tried to sue the state, apparantly believing their profits at selling this chemical were more important than the safety of our drinking water. Charming.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (tmiles)

Wed, 12 Jan 2005 15:49:50 GMT

If you are eating dairy products, you are eating rBST. No test yet exists that can tell you if the rBST in your milk is "natural" or comes from a treated cow. Your USDA makes it very difficult for a producer to say "no rBST" because it can not be true in any case. The system that we have is based on the honor system, and the pledge by various coop members not to inject cows with the Monsato product. Everything that you read on the package is written with great care to avoid the attention of the USDA and Monsanto lawyers. The product was not in use when I was milking cows, and I can not honestly say that I would not be using it if I were in the cow biz today. I generally buy the Cabot product or Land O Lakes, both of which are farmer owned.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (michaelgemmell)

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 20:32:38 GMT

Trader Joe's in the SF Bay Area carries the Plugra, as well as Kerrygold. The K comes in salted in most stores and both salted and unsalted in a few. You're right when you say salting butter keeps it wholesome longer. That Kerrygold is $2.39 for 1/2 # every day. Another market here puts Président French butter on sale, and I love it too.

By law US butter contains 80% butterfat, while the European and european-style butters have a higher fat content, making them richer and "creamier," indeed. Clarified butter has no milk solids, meaning it's virtually 100% fat. It's the milk solids that cause butter to burn at high heat, so clarified is great for sautéeing. Check a cookbook to see how you can easily clarify butter at home. You're so right to point out those products that are rBST-free. Who needs that chemical?

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (pogophiles)

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:14:44 GMT

I generally use Plugra, Lurpak (Danish) or Cabot...

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (KBminihorse)

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 11:56:17 GMT

Whole Foods & Trader Joes both carry brands of butter that do not contain the added hormone rBST. I never buy butter from regular stores, including Land O Lakes. If it doesn't specifically say "Does not contain rBST' chances are that it does. Always try to buy as natural of a product as possible.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Michael Hoffman)

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:48:12 GMT

Growing up in Connecticut margerine used to come in bags and had to be mixed with some sort of coloring agent after purchase. The coloring agent was in the form of a red capsule in the bag.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (ScreamingChicken)

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:43:56 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15

I've heard that in Wisconsin, the dairy state, it used to be against the law for a restaurant to serve margarine. Now that was a fine law. I wish every state would adopt it. No more fake butter!

Hmmm...I can't remember that one per se (but wouldn't be surprised if it was true) but it did used to be illegal to color margarine yellow. If I remember the story correctly that law disappeared in the mid '60s when the state Ag or Dairy commissioner couldn't tell the difference taste-wise between the two.

Growing up it was 2% milk and Fleischmann's margarine at home in IL and whole milk and real butter at Grandma's in WI. Nowadays in my house in WI it's 2% milk and real butter (both from WI producers), and the only Fleischmann's is a clear liquid in a 1.75L bottle.

Brad O.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (danimal15)

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 09:42:23 GMT

I've heard that in Wisconsin, the dairy state, it used to be against the law for a restaurant to serve margarine. Now that was a fine law. I wish every state would adopt it. No more fake butter!

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Theedge)

Wed, 29 Dec 2004 14:25:48 GMT

I've converted several of my friends to a better brand of butter. They thought butter was butter before trying Hope Creamery butter. We are fortunate to have this made locally. See the link below.

http://www.citypages.com/databank/23/1119/article10396.asp

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (renfrew)

Wed, 29 Dec 2004 13:47:23 GMT

I like the canadian Lactania brand. Especially the "Antique" variety.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Phishmonger)

Wed, 29 Dec 2004 12:52:51 GMT

A meal without butter is like a day without sunshine. So sayeth the Phishmonger.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (dug)

Wed, 29 Dec 2004 12:23:01 GMT

"in butter we trust"!

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (aleswench)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 13:56:21 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Maynerd

quote:
Originally posted by aleswench

In the gourmet cheese section of one of our local markets, there is Irish Butter - actually made in Ireland. It's expensive, but very delish - denser, creamier and lighter in color than "regular" butter. I can't recall the name of it though. Will have to look next time I go.

Did a google search, is this the brand?

http://www.kerrygold.com/usa/irishbut.html

That's it!! Ding Ding Ding!! Thank you!

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Maynerd)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 13:44:33 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by lleechef

Plugra is a product of Keller's. Their Corporate office, warehouse and distribution center are located in Harleysville, PA. Their production plant is in Winnsboro, TX.

Well then I guess it is a regional butter for me.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Maynerd)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 13:42:45 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by aleswench

In the gourmet cheese section of one of our local markets, there is Irish Butter - actually made in Ireland. It's expensive, but very delish - denser, creamier and lighter in color than "regular" butter. I can't recall the name of it though. Will have to look next time I go.

Did a google search, is this the brand?

http://www.kerrygold.com/usa/irishbut.html

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (aleswench)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 13:34:55 GMT

In the gourmet cheese section of one of our local markets, there is Irish Butter - actually made in Ireland. It's expensive, but very delish - denser, creamier and lighter in color than "regular" butter. I can't recall the name of it though. Will have to look next time I go.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (zussers)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 13:06:15 GMT

I agree with Stanpnepa, There way too many chemicals in our food. I don't substitute sweeteners for sugar or margarine for butter. I have not seen Plugra butter here in Knoxville, but will look for it at our better markets! I am always on the look-out for great food items! Thanks!

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (lleechef)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 12:54:56 GMT

Plugra is a product of Keller's. Their Corporate office, warehouse and distribution center are located in Harleysville, PA. Their production plant is in Winnsboro, TX.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (RubyRose)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 12:34:15 GMT

Our local brand here in my part of PA is Keller's. It comes salted and unsalted. I don't pay that much attention to the flavor because I use butter for cooking or baking, not for eating outright. When I use it on vegetables, it's mostly always browned in a special little pitcher first.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (lleechef)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 12:23:21 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by dogmeat

Plugra makes a "clarified" version of their butter (sans butterfat)for higher heat cooking but I don't think that the flavor is as good as the regular unsalted. Byron

Actually the Plugra clarified is NOT sans butterfat, as 1T (14 g) contains 130 calories, 130 calories from fat, 14g of total fat and 9g of saturated fat.
At the restaurant I use Plugra for all pastries and baking. It is truly European style butter and has about 10% more butterfat than most butters on the market.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (dogmeat)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 12:00:29 GMT

I've always thought that the salted butter had a longer shelf life and in most cases cheaper, but I go through it so fast I like the unsalted, for the flavor. Plugra makes a "clarified" version of their butter (sans butterfat)for higher heat cooking but I don't think that the flavor is as good as the regular unsalted. A recent addition to the butter market is Cremdore', another European style butter that is very,very good, the best flavor tasted recently, produced in Buffalo,New York. I've noticed that quite a bit of the "gourmet" butters are breing marketed in meat areas of grocery and speciality stores. Byron

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Ralph Isbill)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 11:58:14 GMT

My wife and I have used only butter and good olive oil for cooking and on the table the last four years. You will never again find olio in our home.

RE: Butter-the essence of cooking (Maynerd)

Mon, 27 Dec 2004 11:36:25 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by carlton pierre

Tiki, you just brought up an interesting question. Why it is in the "Prime Cuts" area is weird, but anyway, here goes. Is there much difference in salted or unsalted butter? Obviously one has no salt, but why would I choose one over the other when making something with butter?

Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
For most recipes, salted and unsalted butter can be used interchangeably. However, many chefs recommend using unsalted butter for baking and seafood. Salted butter is a good choice for general cooking.

found that here: http://www.kellerscreamery.com/chef_talk/butter_basics.php

The Tips & Techniques section is quite informative I think.