Butter or Margarine

[keltin]

Originally Posted by Katie E

That's amazing, keltin. My house has always had "stick" butter. When I was a child, I used to help my grandmother make "oleo." She would give me a sealed plastic one-pound package of some nearly-white colored substance that had a "dot" of red in the center. My job was to knead the package until the red was distributed into the oleo. After many, many minutes of kneading the red was melded into the oleo and it turned a lovely yellow, just like butter. That was a long, long time ago. Guess I'm giving away my age, but that's how things were then. My grandparents couldn't afford "real" butter so they did the best they could.

That is such a cool story!! Thanks for sharing that one! I.......no words really......

[jpmcgrew]

Originally Posted by Katie E

The butter crock you reference, keltin, is the same as the butter bell I told you about a few posts ago. As long as the water is changed regularly, the butter will last indefinitely. We've never had butter go bad in our bell.

Wow! Butter is high in your area. We usually pay only about $2 per pound for salted or unsalted butter. You gotta move.

Lucky you where I live its that expensive so I try to stock up when its on sale.I freeze it when I get a good price.

[keltin]

Originally Posted by Katie E

Now, now. You went from pryin' to medlin' Santa DOES exist. How else do I explain all the wonderful things I get under my Christmas tree. Oh, Buck.......

LOL!!!

[jpmcgrew]

Originally Posted by amber

Both, it depends on what I am cooking. Though I do want to know why most say butter is better in terms of health vs margarine. I was under the impression that butter has a lot of cholestorol and salt, and margarine has healthy oils, less salt.

Read the whole thread and you will learn Grasshopper

[jpmcgrew]

Originally Posted by Katie E

The butter crock you reference, keltin, is the same as the butter bell I told you about a few posts ago. As long as the water is changed regularly, the butter will last indefinitely. We've never had butter go bad in our bell.

Wow! Butter is high in your area. We usually pay only about $2 per pound for salted or unsalted butter. You gotta move.

The crock was invented I believe by the french when they had no refridgeration the water creates a barrier from the air but as you said must be changed daily.

[amber]

Ok jpm, I just didnt have time to read through the thread. Normally in all threads I take the time to read through. Just wanted a quick answer in a nut shell basically. Without reading through at this time, I guess it would depend on one's diet ( cholestoral, salt, etc) and weigh that against margarine vs butter. Not sure, just a guess. In my opinion, butter tastes better, but not necessarily better for your health.

[keltin]

Originally Posted by amber

Ok jpm, I just didnt have time to read through the thread. Normally in all threads I take the time to read through. Just wanted a quick answer in a nut shell basically. Without reading through at this time, I guess it would depend on one's diet ( cholestoral, salt, etc) and weigh that against margarine vs butter. Not sure, just a guess. In my opinion, butter tastes better, but not necessarily better for your health.

Margarine with trans fats is bad. Tans fat can do BOTH of lowering good cholesterol and raising bad cholesterol. All in one shot. Saturated fats, which are high in real butter, only lower good cholesterol but don’t raise bad cholesterol. So saturated fat is only a single whammy while a trans fat is a double whammy (lowers good AND raises bad).

So, margarine, typically high in trans fats, is bad. BUT, in the past two years or so, margarine has started to steer clear of trans fat making it healthier (less saturated fats & 0 trans fats) than real butter. Check Country Crock with yogurt!

Most gripes you hear today about margarine are based on the old school days when they used trans fats,. These days, they don’t.

[Barbara L]

I can't afford real butter, but that is still what I use. I try to buy it only when it is on sale. If I can afford to stock up when it is on sale I freeze a lot of it. I usually buy the store brand, just because it is cheaper, but sometimes I can get Land 'o Lakes for the same price (or less) as the store brand.

I guess we each have a few things we are willing to spend a little more on, and butter is one of those things for me.

Barbara

[Andy M.]

I buy both salted and unsalted butters from Costco. The are sold in packs of three one-pound packages for less than $2 a pound.

[Andy M.]

Keltin. I don't use a lot of butter for toast or such so cold hard sticks isn't a major problem. If you need soft butter for a muffin or piece of toast, just slice off a couple of pats and leave them on the edge of the plate while the muffin or toast is getting ready and it will be soft enough to spread.

I keep one stick in the fridge for pans. I just peel back the paper and quickly run the end of the stick around in the hot pan and enough melts off to cook eggs or quesadillas or whatever.

[Essiebunny]

We use only butter in our home and have for many years. I buy it when it's on sale, as well, and freeze.

[bethzaring]

Originally Posted by keltin

So, everyone here that is saying they love "real butter" is only buying and using sticks??????

I want to hear from all the posters.....are you only using sticks and butter dishes?

Yep, only real butter here. I can buy butter in 4 sticks to the pound, in one pound blocks and in 2 pound Amish made rolls. I use a butter dish that I keep in the fridge and bring out when needed.

I used to live down wind from a margarine factory in Columbus Ohio. It smelled like vomit.

I was raised on margarine, as well as white bread, marshmallow creme sandwiches, fried bologna and canned vegetables boiled to death. Instinctively, when I left home, I switched to butter, whole grain foods and fresh fruits and vegetables. Margarine to me is an abomination

[jennyema]

[quote=jpmcgrew;490975]

Originally Posted by keltin

I'll try that! But I just looked it up, and Smart Balance is technically a margarine (whipped oil with other ingredients). Next thing you know, someone is gonna' say the Tooth Fairy isn't real.............HUSH! [/quote
Yes but the point is its not bad for you in fact its good for you with no trans fatty acids with a good amount of Omega 3.It has also been endorsed by professional chefs for the taste.No hydrogenated oils,no gluten,no gelatine.
Try it you will like it.I have a friend who is a heart surgeon and he also uses it.Im not saying give up butter because I wont but its great on toast and as a substitute for baking recipes that call for margarine just dont get the light version you cant cook with it and it doesn't taste as good.I like to use butter for some things and the Smart Balance for others

I think regular SmartBalance is one of the worst spreads I've tasted. Worse than the Mother's margerine I use. Sorry.

But my SIL bought some organic, vegan Smart Balance and it is very different -- tastes closer to butter. Problem is that you can't use it for baking becasue of all the water in it.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by keltin

Land-O-Lakes Light is technically a margarine.......more specifically, a blend. It starts with real butter and emulsifies oils into it. Either way, not real butter.

INGREDIENTS: Butter (Cream, Salt), Water*, Food Starch-Modified*, Contains Less Than 2% of Tapioca Maltodextrin*, Salt, Vegetable Mono And Diglycerides*, Lactic Acid*, Potassium Sorbate* (Preservative), Sodium Benzoate* (Preservative), Xanthan Gum*, Natural Flavor* Vitamin A Palmitate*, Beta Carotene* (color).

*Ingredients not found in regular butter. CONTAINS: MILK

Where are the oils listed? This looks like butter with water emulsified into it. And chemicals added for some reason.

This is not margerine.

[chave982]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

Keltin. I don't use a lot of butter for toast or such so cold hard sticks isn't a major problem. If you need soft butter for a muffin or piece of toast, just slice off a couple of pats and leave them on the edge of the plate while the muffin or toast is getting ready and it will be soft enough to spread.

I keep one stick in the fridge for pans. I just peel back the paper and quickly run the end of the stick around in the hot pan and enough melts off to cook eggs or quesadillas or whatever.

Why not just keep a stick of butter out on the counter in a butter dish? Since butter is a fat, bacteria won't grow on it, and it will last a long time at room temperature, as long as it's covered. I always keep a stick out.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by chave982

Why not just keep a stick of butter out on the counter in a butter dish?...

For the reason I stated earlier:

"I don't use a lot of butter for toast or such so cold hard sticks isn't a major problem."

[keltin]

Originally Posted by jennyema

Where are the oils listed? This looks like butter with water emulsified into it. And chemicals added for some reason.

This is not margerine.

Vegetable Mono And Diglycerides are a fat that aid in emulsifying. Margarine!

[keltin]

After some experimenting with real butter, and cooking a full meal with it, I’ve decided I prefer a spread such as Country Crock with no trans fats to butter.

Butter, in my area, can cost 500% more than a spread. Country Crock is healthier than butter with less calories and lower saturated fat. Butter is just too greasy. Butter only comes in sticks or blocks and is too hard to work with. Butter has less flavor than a spread.

I literally rolled an ear of corn in a plate of greasy melted butter, and even though my corn was dripping with the fatty substance, it still had very little butter flavor. On the next ear, just a small pat of Country Crock and there was an explosion of buttery flavor with almost none of the greasy mess that butter created. Further, the mashed potatoes had far less flavor and a looser texture when made with real butter as opposed to Country Crock.

So, I prefer a spread to real butter. It’s far more economical, healthier, easier to work with, and has more flavor. Next on my list to try is Smart Balance!

[LEFSElover]

Norwegian grandparents came over from Norway to Minnesota and grandfather started a dairy farm. My mother was raised on butter and only butter but someone invented Oleo which they put a container of orange/yellow stuff in so make the color more like butter. Mom's told me this story many times. When I was little, we went from only butter to oleo/margarine for a while, it wasn't the same. Not the same at all.

Put a stick of butter on a plate on the counter, do the same with a stick of margarine (gad it's hard to type in a motor home while it's moving like crazy) leave it there, which one melts? That's the one I want running through my veins. My husband treats me to gourmet butters a lot. He'll come home from work and have a little package of it for me, never know the origin but always relish the adventure.

Husband sent me an email a year or two ago that revealed how margarine is a very close cousin to plastic. Wish I had it here, I'd post the link

[jpmcgrew]

Originally Posted by chave982

Why not just keep a stick of butter out on the counter in a butter dish? Since butter is a fat, bacteria won't grow on it, and it will last a long time at room temperature, as long as it's covered. I always keep a stick out.

I dont know about bacteria but if butter sits out long enough even a butter bell it will go rancid.