What is the difference (butter)?

[AMSeccia]

Maverick, we must have posted just seconds apart. I don't mean for my post to sound like I'm correcting you, I agree ... salt prevents spoilage, yep!

 

[Andy M.]

That's not the only reason:
The addition of salt to butter is to inhibit the growth of organisms that would otherwise sour the butter.. to quote Goodweed.

I would agree that was the case a hundred years ago.

However, with today's modern refrigeration and transportation methods, that is no longer an issue. The salt continues to be added to reproduce the taste everyone had become familiar with.

In today's world, large quantities of fresh cream are deliveded directly from the farm in refrigerated trucks the the butter plant. There it is very quickly put intot he manufacturing process. At some point in the process, salt is added to some of the cream/butter and some continues unsalted.

 

[Maverick2272]

LOL we were thinking the same thing!

 

[AMSeccia]

Yes Andy, I'm sure the dairy council is mistaken.

 

[Andy M.]

Yes Andy, I'm sure the dairy council is mistaken.

The Dairy Council may have been considering the historical perspective with their answer.

Do you suppose they make unsalted butter because they don't care of it spoils?

My point is that modern methods obviate the need for salt as a preservative.

 

[Maverick2272]

That and I still know many people that do not refrigerate their butter but leave it in a butter dish on the table. Ask them and they will tell you that is the way the prefer it, and why they buy salted.
Myself I always refrigerate my butter, the idea of leaving it out just doesn't appeal to me at all!
But, I am sure there are many today that do buy salted or unsalted based solely on preference of taste so I can see where Andy is coming from here.

 

[Andy M.]

That and I still know many people that do not refrigerate their butter but leave it in a butter dish on the table. Ask them and they will tell you that is the way the prefer it, and why they buy salted.
Myself I always refrigerate my butter, the idea of leaving it out just doesn't appeal to me at all!
But, I am sure there are many today that do buy salted or unsalted based solely on preference of taste so I can see where Andy is coming from here.

I also cannot get used to the idea of leaving butter out at room temperature all the time. It seems counter intuitive.

 

[AMSeccia]

I do understand your point, thank you, but I just can't agree (sorry). I've had butter past its prime and IMHO the preservative logic has some merit. For one thing, smaller independent markets can't move product like their larger competitors, and things do spoil (and take on off flavors from storage). Those open shelving units are handy for shoppers, but aren't optimal preservation units. My late FIL had a small town store, and while bread and chip vendors come in and rotate product for stores, that is not generally the case with dairy (to my knowledge).

That said, I actually tyr to buy unsalted butter and freeze it. Go figure!

General Butter Info

 

[bethzaring]

LoL butter is grade AA butter. If the store brand is also grade AA, any differences should be minimal if any. The US govt. dictates minimum fat content (80%) for butter in the US. All brands will meet that requirement.

We buy butter in quantity from Costco. It costs less than $2.00 a pound and is just as good as LoL.

LoL is more expensive because of it's highly recognizable national brand name.

This is my understanding from my food science class. Just look for grade AA and "made from sweet cream".

 

[Andy M.]

I agree that salt has preservative powers. Also that some markets may have butter hanging around longer than it should in less than optimal conditions. We've both seen it.

Thanks for the link.

 

[Maverick2272]

I do have to say this has me curious to try the European butter.

 

[AMSeccia]

me too ... if I get to Milwaukee this weekend, I'm going to try and pick some up at Whole Foods. I thought I saw a French brand there last time I looked. I'll have to do that in lieu of lunch, as I thought it was like $7/lb!!!

 

[Maverick2272]

Wow, that is a lot! But I was thinking the same thing, a quick trip to Whole Foods to check it out.

 

[Andy M.]

We vacation in Aruba each winter and buy groceries for our timeshare. The supermarkets there have a selection of European butters that are the same price as the butter they sell from the US. It is delicious.

 

[AllenOK]

Different cow varieties produce different tasting milk. Also, the food they eat affects the flavor. Cattle that have eaten a significant portion of alfalfa in their diet produce milk that has an "off" flavor reminiscent of vitamin pills. Cattle that eat primarily sweet hay have a sweeter flavored milk.

Depending on the time of year, and the food available, milk varies from one batch to another, depending on what the animals are eating.

I don't remember if I've mentioned this here before, so here goes.

Many, many, years ago, I used to work for an ice cream / dairy / burger chain here in OK called Braum's. Those members in OK, northern TX, western AR, southwestern MO, and southern KS will know the company I'm talking about.

Supposedly, as I was told many years ago, they have the largest private dairy herd in the country. Holstein cattle.

The milk produced by the cows gets used for ALL dairy products. Milk, butter, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, frozen yogurt, etc. The cream that's skimmed from the whole milk gets used for butter, whipping cream, canned whipped cream, etc.

Many years ago, the small lake on the farm, the only water source for that herd, "turned over". That is, for some oddball reason, water from the bottom levels of the lake moved to the top. The rush of nutrients caused an algae bloom in the lake, which in turn, affected the taste of the water. The cows drank that water. The result: The resulting milk tasted like pond water. BLECK! I know, because I tasted some of the stuff. For over a month, customers were bringing back milk because it "tasted funny". I was all to happy to refund their money.

Eventually, the water purity was restored, and the milk quality returned to normal.

 

[Andy M.]

Interesting story. It certainly proves the point.

 

[AMSeccia]

Ick ... I guess we really are what we eat!

 

[Maverick2272]

Lakes turn over due to temperature changes. The lakes where I grew up did it every year, yuck! But it doesn't take long for it to sort itself out and return to normal. I never heard of it happening in a small pond or tiny lake though.