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iowagreen

POSTED: Sun, 05/17/2009 - 10:42pm

Butter

Just curious what kind of butter folks use; if you use it. if not what do you use? I try to watch my heart health but the more I read about margarines,even the non-trans-fat "smart balance" type, the more I wonder. I have started using smaller portions of grass-fed butter I can get it from my amish neighbors for $1.50 a pound - shop local!

JSB	POSTED: Fri, 03/11/2011 - 12:39pm Hi I am in Des Moines.Car trouble.People are lovely and very helpful here.Where are you in relation to Des Moines?Hope you are well and thriving.OXO Jean

JSB	POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 8:06pm Iowagreen New avatar...I'm glad you are there.what's new?All well?OXO Jean

Ava

POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 8:05am Butter We now make our own butter. My OH made the last lot. It's so simple. We use organic double cream. Pour 300ml of the cream into a food processor. Attach the egg beater paddle. Beat the cream until it changes in texture....remove the excess liquid and squeeze the rest dry. Pat into a ball and wrap in greaseroof paper. Keep in fridge. Add salt to taste. It's tasty and you know exactly what is in it. Cost wise, it works out slightly cheaper than shop bought - but there's satisfaction in knowing it's homemade.

Leahrose

POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 11:44am incredible i agree with marilyn. You never cease to amaze me :)

Ava

POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 1:19pm Hi both Hardly a talent! And besides my OH made the last lot! It really is easy - LOL it was tricky to get my head around the fact that butter comes from cows...and how are you going to get the buttermilk....I had visions of 'bluebell' (she was actually my first cow - I used to ride her around the walled garden when I was 5....those were the days!) chewing away at daisies on the balcony...doh! Simply 'churn' away in the mixer. Jamie Oliver has the basic way to do it in his 30 min book. I can't believe we didn't bother with it before. I've just bought a new rosemary bush and a thyme shrub for the window in the kitchen. The last rosemary bush has grown too much and needs re-potting onto the balcony. I also bought two lovely Lavender plants (I really miss the flower markets as I could buy lemon, olive, cherry blossom trees and all the lavender and rose bushes I could dream of....ahhhh..... Anyhow, I'm going to buy a new outdoor balcony sized 'greenhouse' when I see one and grow more tomato plants, rocket, lettuce etc. It's so delicious when picked and eaten within the hour. I just wish I still had my Aylesbury ducks to eat all those pesky snails...the balcony is just too small!! Hmmmm....I wonder if I can add rosemary or lavender to the butter? I know lavender / vanilla / rose infused sugar is lovely...

Marilyn

POSTED: Sun, 02/27/2011 - 8:56am Butter Ava, try citrus zest in your butter. I bought some at a food fayre and it was delicious, there was also a butter with chilli flakes in it. Spicey!! I had a giggle at the thought of those ducks gobbling the snails!!!

Kimberly

POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 8:50pm Oh great.....Thanks Ava Now I am gonna have to play "keeping up with the Jones" and attempt to make butter. I just got the yogurt making down pat and now this.....lol I think lavendar would be nice...could it be mixed with a tad of honey and added to the butter.....hmmmm

JSB	POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 9:18pm LOL I feel the same way.Will have to make my own butter.Gave up on homemade yogurt.Lavender butter....sounds really nice.Perhaps using lavender honey.

Leahrose

POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 11:20pm gave up? No, dont give up! It really is a great thing to do! Keep faith

JSB	POSTED: Sun, 02/27/2011 - 12:58pm Uh Huh It never turned out the way I reaally like it and it took too long.So as our manifesto states (I am paraphrasing)Fernch Women don't do things they don't enjoy and I don't so I won't.LOL.

blondetaz

POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 7:54pm So wonderful... Lavender butter sounds simply delicious. When I was in Provence, I would buy lavender honey in the little produce stands by the side of the road. Heavenly.

MrsKoller

POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 6:11pm Lavender & Butter I think I have seen it somewhere. I am hoping one day to have my own garden as well. Hubby knows there is nothing I love better. I use the lavender in my soaps. Put down some copper strips - they stop ants and snails. I used to have a garden apartment when I was fresh out of college and I had a terrible snail problem. I put copper strips along the base of the door and that stopped that! LOL But honestly, I made butter once as a school project, but have not made it since. However, I have access to some really great butters at my local natural food market.

Ava

POSTED: Sun, 02/27/2011 - 7:15am Hi Gina, Thanks for the tips - however, when we had our last house, we had a large greenhouse and herbery. I used copper strips EVERYWHERE! The snails still got past them...we even tried the beer trick amongst others. It was only when I let the ducks into the greenhouse area (and carefully blocked off the entrance - as one time they managed to get in and EAT almost all the lettuce!), that we saw the end of the snails. They absolutely LOVED eating them - it was quite funny to watch! I miss my ducks :-(

Marilyn

POSTED: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 10:42am Ava Is there no end to your talents?

Leahrose

POSTED: Fri, 12/31/2010 - 5:32pm I use Unfortunately, I have never like the taste of true, real butter:( Sad, yes I know. But, I have found that I like the European butter: Plugra, i think it is called. It is creamy and buttery, but somehow just..... different, better, and I like it.

suzan

POSTED: Tue, 10/12/2010 - 2:40pm ghee i'm from india. we don't use butter directly. we cook the butter with turmeric & little garlic until its all water content gone. now it is called as clarified butter or ghee. this you can keep outside. doesn't spoil & tastes great

MrsKoller

POSTED: Tue, 10/12/2010 - 2:52pm Major Crush I had my first major love crush on a boy from India when I was in college and I wanted to impress him (yea I was dreaming! but he was soooooooooo gorgeous!!!!) so I learned how to cook a lot of Indian dishes and the use of ghee has totally stuck with other foods that I make. You can also buy it if you don't want to make it, but I tend to make my own. Wonder what happened to him....sigh

suzan

POSTED: Tue, 10/12/2010 - 3:42pm hahahahahaa..... you made me laugh for a long good 5 mins. you made my day. you got something out of him if not him. good for you

Gigi L - Georgine

POSTED: Fri, 08/06/2010 - 2:44am Luv the Butter! We don't use margarine in our house. Just yummy butter that I buy from our local dairy. Unsalted of course. I read somewhere that butter actually helps your body absorb the vitamins in your food. I just use a little. A little goes a long way....

Charlotte

POSTED: Wed, 08/04/2010 - 12:16am I generally don't use it- I generally don't use it- mostly because I'm not a big fan of how it tastes. The only exception is when it comes in baked goods such as cakes, biscuits, etc. I don't know if you like spreading butter on bread, but a healthier (and in my opinion, yummier) alternative is using real avocado, which is loaded with good fats.

Nya_Nya

POSTED: Wed, 08/04/2010 - 9:32am I'd love to try avocado I love the taste of butter, but have never tried avocado before. I'd love to try it though, for a change. But I don't think I can get good avocados where I come from. They have all been picked at least a year ago judging by the label. Is that normal, do you know?

JSB	POSTED: Wed, 08/04/2010 - 9:09am Hi Never thought of avocado.I will try it.I love dipping my bread in flavoured olive oil.,or even plain OO.

MrsKoller

POSTED: Fri, 05/28/2010 - 10:00am I love to bake It comes from working in my uncle's bakery. I have been making my own birthday cake for years. The recipe is in the Cake Bible and it's called Whisper White Chocolate Cake. I also make a West African chicken recipe called Yassa au Poulet which is basically a lemon onion chicken stew over rice. It's my comfort food day. But I digress. I just prefer working with real unsalted butter. It melts better, it tastes better and it causes the correct chemical reaction when baking. Fortunately we can get some great butters locally.

Farrah27

POSTED: Fri, 09/25/2009 - 9:57am I use grass-fed Kerrygold I use grass-fed Kerrygold butter. I like the Organic Valley pasture butter, but it isn't in my Whole Foods anymore. Kerrygold is the same thing and it can be purchased year round at Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I also use coconut ghee instead of olive oil for its antibacterial properties. Hope this helps!

Cate	POSTED: Mon, 05/03/2010 - 5:56pm I use Kerrygold, and have I use Kerrygold, and have found that it has a much better flavor (sweeter and creamier) than the American butter I have found at the supermarkets.

Marilyn

POSTED: Wed, 05/05/2010 - 5:21pm French I use President french unsalted butter or if desperate in the winter Lurpak spreadable for ease.

Ava

POSTED: Wed, 09/23/2009 - 3:36am Organic all the way... Hi iowagreen, I only use butter - organic, salted or unsalted depending on the recipe. I tried 'olivio' and 'Flora' margarine a few years ago - but didn't last long! That stuff does nothing for me taste wise and I'm not even sure if there are any real benefits heath wise? Butter used in moderation is delicious and provides some real fat! Ava.

Anna

POSTED: Wed, 09/23/2009 - 9:48am Definitely healthier (and tastier) than margarine! Butter has health benefits, too - as long as it's from cows that eat grass (not industrial cows). Grass-fed butter has vitamins A and D, some Omega 3s, and a very healthy type of fat known as CLA, which is thought to be heart-protective. Bon appetit!

Sophie

POSTED: Tue, 09/22/2009 - 9:08pm Unsalted I use the unsalted butter from Kroger. Land of Lakes is also good, but is higher in price. I use butter sparingly, but it is real food (margarine is not). I use olive oil whenever possible for the health benefits. Don't be afraid to use use it, and remember to compensate by walking more or cutting back somewhere after enjoying your buttery treat.

Anna

POSTED: Tue, 09/22/2009 - 2:33pm Amazing butter I usually don't think so much of American butter, but I had the most incredible butter recently. Organic Valley "Pasture" Butter, which is sold in a green foil wrapper. Apparently, it will only be sold certain months of the year because it's made of milk from cows that eat only green grass. The color is incredible - a bright yellow, almost orange - and the taste is amazing. It's absolutely delicious. I'm not sure if it is sold in mainstream grocery stores, but I bought it at Whole Foods. Definitely worth a try!

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