Butter

Guide Note

Butter is used as a condiment, but it is also an ingredient in many many types of food, such as sauces. Unsalted butter is most often called for in baking. Due to its high fat and calorie content, butter should be eaten in moderation, but it is generally thought to be healthier than consuming margarine, which is high in trans-fats that affect cholesterol levels. Butter is made from churned milk fat, most often from cow's milk, but sometimes from the milk of other animals like buffalo or sheep.

Fast Facts

1. 1 tablespoon: 100 calories, 11 grams of fat
2. It takes 21 pounds of milk to make each pound of butter
3. Used to be made by churning milk fat in butter churns
4. Butter must contain at least 80% milkfat by weight
5. Stick of butter = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 1/4 pound = 4 oz
6. India consumes more butter than any other country
7. Sticks of butter are longer and thinner east of the Rockies, but have the same volume

Sticks of butter can be stored in the refrigerator between 32 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit for up to four months. They can be stored frozen for up to a year. Butter can take on flavors from nearby food products, so make sure it is always tightly sealed. Store butter in a butter dish or butter bell to keep it fresh for convenient use.

• Sweet cream butter: The most prevalent butter in the U.S. which includes lightly salted, unsalted and whipped butter:

1. Lightly salted butter is good for cooking and spreading on bread. It melts more quickly than unsalted butter.
2. Unsalted butter is best for baking, as it will not throw off the salt measurements called for. It melts slightly more slowly than salted butter.
3. Whipped butter is butter whipped with air to make it fluffy and easily spreadable even when it is cold.

• Cultured cream butter: Made from cultured cream, it is more prevalent in Europe, but is also available in the U.S.