Sticker Shock - cost of living etc.

[Aunt Bea]

Aunt Bea - you are a wealth of information! Where did you find that!

It’s way too spendy for me!

All I can think of is how much butter I could buy for $ 24.00 plus shipping.

Classic Ceramic French-Style Butter Keeper

Classic Ceramic French Butter Keeper

marmalademercantile.com

Eliminating toast sweat has always been more of an issue for me than hard butter.

 

[Kathleen]

Clearly you need a second butter bell.

Clearly! But....it is an itty bitty kitchen.....and well, *I* typically shop for butter.

It’s way too spendy for me!

All I can think of is how much butter I could buy for $ 24.00 plus shipping.

You can find butter bells MUCH cheaper than that!

Others explained how they work. I do change out the water every couple days if I am not going through butter quickly. We do love having butter that smears easily on whatever we want just sitting there.

Not butter but....I had been looking for schmaltz (rendered chicken fat sometimes flavored with a hint of onion.) I use it in several recipes, but it is especially great for chopped liver. When I can find it, it is generally really expensive - Around $15 per 8 ounces (227 grams for those who do metric.)

I purchase my chicken liver from this place that raises and butchers chicken. When I went to get my chicken livers, the workers were trimming skin, etc. from the chicken parts. I inquired whether they would let me buy some of the skin they trimmed off. The answer was 'how much do you want?' They gave me a huge bag of discarded skin and fat. I was able to render it down to about 2 cups (454 grams) of golden schmaltz! They did not charge me anything and told me to give them a call anytime I wanted more skin/fat. Don't know why I did not think to do this before!

 

[Aunt Bea]

Clearly! But....it is an itty bitty kitchen.....and well, *I* typically shop for butter.


You can find butter bells MUCH cheaper than that!

Others explained how they work. I do change out the water every couple days if I am not going through butter quickly. We do love having butter that smears easily on whatever we want just sitting there.

Not butter but....I had been looking for schmaltz (rendered chicken fat sometimes flavored with a hint of onion.) I use it in several recipes, but it is especially great for chopped liver. When I can find it, it is generally really expensive - Around $15 per 8 ounces (227 grams for those who do metric.)

I purchase my chicken liver from this place that raises and butchers chicken. When I went to get my chicken livers, the workers were trimming skin, etc. from the chicken parts. I inquired whether they would let me buy some of the skin they trimmed off. The answer was 'how much do you want?' They gave me a huge bag of discarded skin and fat. I was able to render it down to about 2 cups (454 grams) of golden schmaltz! They did not charge me anything and told me to give them a call anytime I wanted more skin/fat. Don't know why I did not think to do this before!

Your post made me think of Jacques Pepin roasting chicken skins to create crispy treat similar to bacon.

The information is in this little video about fridge soup.

I’m thinking a crispy Chicken skin, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.

 

[KatyCooks]

I am surprised about the whole "water" thing with these butter bells. I put my oblong of butter straight from the packet into my glass butter dish and pop the lid on. I keep it in a kitchen cupboard (so that it is spreadable). But no water is involved.

 

[Andy M.]

I am surprised about the whole "water" thing with these butter bells. I put my oblong of butter straight from the packet into my glass butter dish and pop the lid on. I keep it in a kitchen cupboard (so that it is spreadable). But no water is involved.

The water is intended to keep out airborne bacteria to prevent spoilage. You've been fortunate not to need it.

 

[KatyCooks]

The water is intended to keep out airborne bacteria to prevent spoilage. You've been fortunate not to need it.

Must be a climate thing I guess. I have never had a problem with spoilt butter. That said, last year, when we had hotter than usual weather for a 6 week period, I did end up putting the butter in the fridge for a couple of days because it was actually melting.

 

[dragnlaw]

Katy, I have never had a problem with my butter either. Other than during extreme heat waves, it's on the counter or in a cupboard.

 

[taxlady]

Mine butter is out and near the toaster. I almost never have a problem with it going off. If we haven't used much butter in a few weeks, it sometimes gets a bit old and sad. I vaguely remember once having some mould grow on it. But, I have air conditioning, so my house doesn't really count as having summer temperatures. The AC also dehumidifies.

 

[Linda0818]

Your post made me think of Jacques Pepin roasting chicken skins to create crispy treat similar to bacon.

The information is in this little video about fridge soup.

I’m thinking a crispy Chicken skin, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.

Sounds good to me. I've got to make the crispy chicken skins. I'm somewhat of a poultry skin addict. Naturally I'll eat it from baked or roasted chicken/turkey/Cornish Hen, etc. But I'll also eat it just boiled. Sometimes I'll boil chicken legs or thighs for my dog and, when it's cooked, I can't help but munch on the skin when I'm chopping the chicken meat up for him.

 

[medtran49]

I render the fat out and make crispy chicken skin and schmaltz from time to time. I like to break the skin up and use it as a garnish. Shh, don't tell Craig, but I usually end up eating nearly a whole piece before the meal is served.

 

[GotGarlic]

I render the fat out and make crispy chicken skin and schmaltz from time to time. I like to break the skin up and use it as a garnish. Shh, don't tell Craig, but I usually end up eating nearly a whole piece before the meal is served.

Hee hee, so do I! Cook's treat, you know!

 

[dr morbius]

When it comes to butter, I always buy the freshest I can. I often see butter on sale and I check the sell-by date, only to find it's just a couple weeks away. I buy butter with a date over 4 months away, meaning that butter which is on sale has been sitting somewhere, hopefully refrigerated but one never knows , for over three months! No thank you! I just think regardless of brand, fresher butter tastes better.

Yes, the European butters are better but far more costly. I only consider buying them if I'm making butter cookies, because the higher fat content makes for tastier cookies.

 

[pepperhead212]

Around here, they usually have sales on butter in the fall, and I stock up on it, for Christmas cookies! I always vacuum seal them, 2 or 3 lbs at a time, and freeze them. I'm sure there are still some in there - I'll check what I have in the inventory, and rotate the stock. I know it wasn't too long ago I made a lb of ghee, and that pint jar in the fridge is almost full. I don't use butter that often, however, and would never leave it out at room temperature. I keep a couple sticks in a quart mason jar in the fridge, to avoid any garlic flavor getting into the butter!

 

[Jusa]

Mine butter is out and near the toaster. I almost never have a problem with it going off. If we haven't used much butter in a few weeks, it sometimes gets a bit old and sad. I vaguely remember once having some mould grow on it. But, I have air conditioning, so my house doesn't really count as having summer temperatures. The AC also dehumidifies.

Same here, we keep ours out. No butter bell and never had any go bad. But we go through about 1 stick per week. Last time Land o' Lakes had butter on sale for $3 lb I bought 6 packages of it. They had the packs with half sticks at that price so I got those, so it's really staying fresh now.

I render the fat out and make crispy chicken skin and schmaltz from time to time. I like to break the skin up and use it as a garnish. Shh, don't tell Craig, but I usually end up eating nearly a whole piece before the meal is served.

Hee hee, so do I! Cook's treat, you know!

Me too! That crispy skin is great as a salad topping.

That rendered chicken fat is a great way to fry breakfast potatoes.

 

[Linda0818]

When it comes to butter, I always buy the freshest I can. I often see butter on sale and I check the sell-by date, only to find it's just a couple weeks away. I buy butter with a date over 4 months away, meaning that butter which is on sale has been sitting somewhere, hopefully refrigerated but one never knows , for over three months! No thank you! I just think regardless of brand, fresher butter tastes better.

Yes, the European butters are better but far more costly. I only consider buying them if I'm making butter cookies, because the higher fat content makes for tastier cookies.

My son loves the Kerrygold Irish butter. The French butter is pretty good, too, but we like the Irish butter the best.

 

[Jusa]

A

My son loves the Kerrygold Irish butter. The French butter is pretty good, too, but we like the Irish butter the best.

Aldi has Irish butter that's just as good as Kerry Gold but not quite as expensive. But I'll buy Kerry Gold when it's on sale.

 

[Linda0818]

A

Aldi has Irish butter that's just as good as Kerry Gold but not quite as expensive. But I'll buy Kerry Gold when it's on sale.

Awesome, I'll look for it the next time I'm at Aldi. Thanks

 

[Rascal]

Butter here comes in 1 lb blocks.
Up around $9 but was about $5 per covid.
Lamb here is 9.99 kg but I buy a whole lamb. My mates a butcher. ( sold shop) we buy halal shop.
He cuts it up for me. Frozen.
Whole lamb $240

Russ

 

[Jusa]

Butter here comes in 1 lb blocks.
Up around $9 but was about $5 per covid.
Lamb here is 9.99 kg but I buy a whole lamb. My mates a butcher. ( sold shop) we buy halal shop.
He cuts it up for me. Frozen.
Whole lamb $240

Russ

https://www.revolut.com/en-US/currency-converter/convert-usd-to-nzd-exchange-rate/i8elY

 

[dragnlaw]

Your butter is about the same $$ as ours.