Sthitch Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 My only verrrrrry minor quibble is the bread service. The bread is just blah and the butter, though thankfully warm and spreadable, is unsalted and just too bland for my tastes.So glad I finally made it to this gem! You can always salt your own butter. The only time I have found salted butter at a restaurant in the least bit appealing was at Nectar, where they sprinkled the lovely stuff with sea salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilrus Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 You can always salt your own butter. The only time I have found salted butter at a restaurant in the least bit appealing was at Nectar, where they sprinkled the lovely stuff with sea salt. The salted butter at Per Se and French Laundry is the best butter I've ever tasted. Of course they can also tell you the names of the cows in Vermont that produce the butter. But then I prefer salted butter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capital Icebox Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 You can always salt your own butter. The only time I have found salted butter at a restaurant in the least bit appealing was at Nectar, where they sprinkled the lovely stuff with sea salt. 1789 had some wonderful salted butter to go with their rosemary foccacia last night. Nice, big chunks of sea salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 My only verrrrrry minor quibble is the bread service. The bread is just blah and the butter, though thankfully warm and spreadable, is unsalted and just too bland for my tastes. Is the bread still from Breadline? I liked it, but that was a couple of months ago. And I always buy unsalted butter, then salt my bread after buttering. Unsalted butter is fresher, and I like the crunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Boy Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Mrs. TJ and I went to Maestro (one and only mindblowing time) and when they asked what kind of butter we wanted, in opposite unison she said salted and I said unsalted. Baffled at each other, the waitstaff winked and quickly came back with....both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Further distinctions: cultured vs. what? Uncivilized? Unenlightened? Cultured butter is made from, essentially, creme fraiche. Think of it as yogurt made with 100% heavy cream that is then churned into butter. The good French butters are all cultured. Vermont Butter and Cheese Company makes the best domestic cultured butter (which has a little bit of salt in it). It's very fresh-tasting and the flavor is deep and complex. The price takes your breath away. So I buy Trader Joe's Organic Unsalted Cultured Butter--there is no salted version. Or Plugra, European-style, also unsalted. I prefer unsalted, and my husband and daughter sprinkle salt on theirs. On a couple of occasions, I have made my own cultured butter, using heavy cream from the farmer's market and a spoonful of Total yogurt as a starter. After it thickened up, I churned it in my Kitchenaid mixer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 One of the last projects I did with my class (weep) was making butter in little glass jars by shaking it back and forth. (This is a great way to get their energy out when its too hot to go out.) We used ice cold whole milk and added a marble for friction, which sped up the process. Once it had formed we spread it on Ritz crackers and most of them were disappointed. After adding a bit of kosher salt on top they all suddenly recognized what they had been shaking for the past hour. If you've never made your own shaken butter I highly recommend finding a small child with lots of energy and putting them to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 One of the last projects I did with my class (weep) was making butter in little glass jars by shaking it back and forth. (This is a great way to get their energy out when its too hot to go out.) We used ice cold whole milk and added a marble for friction, which sped up the process.Once it had formed we spread it on Ritz crackers and most of them were disappointed. After adding a bit of kosher salt on top they all suddenly recognized what they had been shaking for the past hour. If you've never made your own shaken butter I highly recommend finding a small child with lots of energy and putting them to work. I just had one of those "Oh, wait a minute" moments after reading this post. My second-grade teacher in Sausalito, California, in the late 1950s did the same thing. I don't know if she used cream or what, but shaken something turned into butter and we all got to try a bit of it on a cracker. Of course, during those years, everybody thought margarine was much better than butter Lord have mercy, that brought back memories. And, oh by the way Hillvalley, California had the best public schools in the country back then. I was very forturnate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 La Baratte des Gourmets, a demi-sel from France which is ferociously salty Wegman's carries this one in their aforementioned gourmet butter case. We really like it, but I think that's as much because of the crunchy fleur de sel bits as the quality of the butter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 It is very good, but it could be a little more cultured for my taste. Does it come in an unsalted version? This reminds me--have you noticed that the Trader Joe's Unsalted Organic Cultured Butter is now just labeled "Organic"? It seems to have become uncultured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdt Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) It is very good, but it could be a little more cultured for my taste. Does it come in an unsalted version? It appears that it does. According to their web site, the salt content is low and the butter can be used in any recipe. Hmmm, maybe a butter tasting is in order.... Edited January 26, 2006 by mdt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilrus Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 This reminds me--have you noticed that the Trader Joe's Unsalted Organic Cultured Butter is now just labeled "Organic"? It seems to have become uncultured. That almost happened to me that year I worked in southern Arkansas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe H Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Vermont Butter is sold by Balducci's, Wegman's, Whole Foods and Dean and DeLuca among others. There are three varieties: salted, unsalted and salted with Fleur de Lys, a very coarse and faintly crunchy sea salt. Wegman's sells a seemingly healthy brick oven baked bread which they call a "Marathan Energy Loaf." Encrusted with whole seeds, tasting of numerous grains and other supposedly healthy things this all hits a wall when slathered with a 1/4 inch thick coating of Vermont's Fleur de Lys butter. One hundred and ten calories per tablespoon! A man among fattening butters, no mere one hundred calorie pretender. Breaking off the end of a Marathan loaf, slathering Vermont butter, I'll have to walk fifty, sixty miles this week to work these three bites off! But worth every step... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Wine pairing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Man I love good butter. The Vermont B&C Co. butter is also available at Balducci's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Man I love good butter. The Vermont B&C Co. butter is also available at Balducci's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe H Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Wine pairing? Diet Coke or skim milk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 I don't know. That actually sounds like a good foil for traditionally-styled Cotes du Jura white--the waxy heft mingling with the nutty grains and rich butter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjsadler Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Interesting article in the Sunday NYT on making your own butter. More here. Does sound like a good trick for when you have cream that is going to go bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Blume Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Searching for better butter for my batter: Has anybody seen salted butter from Brittany nearby? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Searching for better butter for my batter:Has anybody seen salted butter from Brittany nearby? I noticed a couple of different European butters at Rodman's Friendship Heights when I was there a couple of days ago--French and Italian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banco Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Searching for better butter for my batter:Has anybody seen salted butter from Brittany nearby? I'm pretty sure I've seen it at Dean and Deluca, where it naturally will be horrendously overpriced. Also, Trader Joe's usually carries President, if that's any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legant Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 After reading the Saveur Beauty of Butter issue: Land o’ Lakes ain’t going to cut it anymore. It’s clear: butter can be used as either food (cultured) or ingredient (uncultured). Is it worth it – economically and taste-wise –to have on hand two different types of butters? Ninety percent of my current butter usage is as a cooking medium, i.e., sautéing; 10 percent as condiment. However, during the spring and summer months, butter is used more as seasonal seasoning. =-=-=-=-=-= At my first DR.com picnic there was a butter tasting. Were there any clear winners? From up thread: Plugra, Vermont Butter & Cheese and Trader Joe’s are brand favorites. Any others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatWashington Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 After reading the Saveur Beauty of Butter issue: Land o’ Lakes ain’t going to cut it anymore. It’s clear: butter can be used as either food (cultured) or ingredient (uncultured). Is it worth it – economically and taste-wise –to have on hand two different types of butters? Ninety percent of my current butter usage is as a cooking medium, i.e., sautéing; 10 percent as condiment. However, during the spring and summer months, butter is used more as seasonal seasoning. =-=-=-=-=-= At my first DR.com picnic there was a butter tasting. Were there any clear winners? From up thread: Plugra, Vermont Butter & Cheese and Trader Joe’s are brand favorites. Any others? ========= Have you ever tried making your own? It's fun while you read the Food Section, or something. Fill a clean glass jar with heavy cream, put the lid on tight, jiggle it about until it begins to get thick. It will separate into a lump (pretty small!) banging about in a cloudy liquid. Julia, of eatWashington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legant Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Hmm... butter and buttermilk all in the span of a Netflix DVD? Would "cultured" buttermilk make a noticeable difference in biscuits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 I accidentally just made my own butter. I had made some whipped cream and took it to a friend's. But apparently I jostled my bag so much on the way home that I opened my bag and saw two big lumps of sweet vanilla butter. Of course this has me pondering all these ideas, as I've made bourbon whipped cream, so I'm just thinking about bourbon butter. Chocolate malted butter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pax Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 The Common Market in Frederick has a nice selection of butters. I keep reaching out and picking up the Vermont Butter Company butter and then putting it back down, amazed that a by-product like butter can be so much more dear than the end product..how much cheap beef could you buy for a pound of that stuff? Given that they both require a huge amount of production? It just amazes me. I really am going to have to try it soon. I keep two different butter crocks going, one sweet, and one salted, and use them depending on what I'm buttering. Really good sweet butter can be sublime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xochitl10 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 amazed that a by-product like butter can be so much more dear than the end productIt's been very dear in Japan for about a month . . . there's been a domestic butter shortage here since about mid-April. I'm only now able to find Japanese butter at the store with any regularity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Blume Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 The Tenleytown location of Whole Foods is selling butter that Fattore Garofalo produces from water buffaloes. Is this is a new marketing strategy for the Italian company? Shopping at small corner stores and supermarkets for butter in Italy, I never noticed such a product. Since butter lasts longer than a fresh cheese, after all the scandals about sick bufale and rumors of tainted mozzarella, is the company dealing with lower demand for imports? Maybe the increased availability of US domestic mozzarella (both loosely speaking, from cows, and strictly speaking, from water buffaloes) also inspires the move. The price was lower than Vermont's cultured butter: $3.99 vs. $4.99 a package (though I can't remember the weight). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pax Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 The Tenleytown location of Whole Foods is selling butter that Fattore Garofalo produces from water buffaloes. Is this is a new marketing strategy for the Italian company? Shopping at small corner stores and supermarkets for butter in Italy, I never noticed such a product. Since butter lasts longer than a fresh cheese, after all the scandals about sick bufale and rumors of tainted mozzarella, is the company dealing with lower demand for imports? Maybe the increased availability of US domestic mozzarella (both loosely speaking, from cows, and strictly speaking, from water buffaloes) also inspires the move. The price was lower than Vermont's cultured butter: $3.99 vs. $4.99 a package (though I can't remember the weight). Wow, maybe I need to run down to Tenleytown, the last time I priced the VBC's butter in Balducci's it was something like 9.99 a pound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Blume Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Wow, maybe I need to run down to Tenleytown, the last time I priced the VBC's butter in Balducci's it was something like 9.99 a pound.Pace, pax. $4.99 for 8 oz. package. I think the Garofalo butter was the same size, but $1 less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.H. Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I'm not a butter connoisseur but J. Ren dairy had small tubs of unsalted butter at the Courthouse farmers market for $3. I went home and weighed it on my digital scale and it was just over 1 lb 3 oz. We've been enjoying it on a variety of baked goods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pax Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Pace, pax. $4.99 for 8 oz. package. I think the Garofalo butter was the same size, but $1 less. Ah, so. Gracias. Now, people...if I were to go and toss off $10 on a pound of butter, what should I make with it? What would best show off this yumminess? Savories? Sweets? I think one thing I'll do for sure is wait until I have a few really glorious tomatoes and do Marcella Hazan's Tomato Butter Onion Sauce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. B Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 I did a little comparison shopping for something we have been consuming at an alarming clip this weekend. Stores: -Giant/Peapod -Harris Teeter -Progresso Mercado (Mt. Pleasant St) Store Brand - $3.49 -$3.69 - NA Land O'Lakes - $4.69 - $4.89 - $3.49 How can the mainline stores get away with this crap? What do you pay for yours? Do you think there's a significant quality difference between store brand butter and Land O'Lakes (let's not swerve into high end butters just yet)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 I just bought 1 lb. unsalted (nonorganic) 365 brand butter for $2.69. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Trader Joe's or Costco. Buy in bulk and keep frozen until needed. JMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 I do alot of baking, and I used to buy Land O' Lakes, but that got pricey so I've been buying butter from Costco instead. I haven't noticed much of a difference in the baked goods. Costco sells the butter in a pack of four 1-pound boxes for $7-something, if I recall correctly and they haven't raised the price lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.H. Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Costco unsalted for baking and cooking, the nicer stuff is reserved for spreading on baked goods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I also keep a supply of the Costco butter for basic uses. I've run out now, though, and need to get more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Slater Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Trader Joes: 1 pound of unsalted Plugra European style butter ( all the big kitchens in town use this) $3.69 pound; the same butter at Safeway is $4.69 for a half pound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotteeM Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I buy butter from Jersey cows kept on beautiful green pasture. It is priced according to the season in which it is produced. Spring butter, from milk produced when the cows are eating the fast-growing spring grass with all of its nutrients, goes for about $12/lb, while winter butter, made when the cows are eating the hay the farmer grew the previous summer, is about $7/lb. The rest of the year, it fetches about $9.50/lb. I'm not a baker, and I use butter mostly for sauteeing vegetables or making sauces, so my consumption is not that great. A pound will last me a couple of weeks. I buy this butter because of the CLA it contains, which has been shown to help protect against cancer, and my husband and I both have a lot of cancer in our families. I think of it as a nutritional supplement as much as a fat for cooking. And it has a flavor unlike that of any supermarket butter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monavano Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Adding to the votes for Costco-today the Kirkland unsalted butter is $1.85/lb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legant Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 City gal question here: When we talk of butter, we're usually talking about a product of cow's milk. Is there such a thing as goat's milk butter? Is there a discernable taste difference? Is such a product widely available? Are there other butter, other than cow's milk? And, while we're at it: why is it called "apple butter"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotteeM Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 City gal question here: When we talk of butter, we're usually talking about a product of cow's milk. Is there such a thing as goat's milk butter? Is there a discernable taste difference? Is such a product widely available? Are there other butter, other than cow's milk?And, while we're at it: why is it called "apple butter"? Knowing that goat milk doesn't yield as much cream as that from a milk cow, I was skeptical, but I Googled and found that some people have successfully made goat butter. And Meyenberg offers it commercially. Given that goat milk is more expensive to produce (goats harder to keep, yield less than a cow) and the cream content is less, I expect goat butter to be very dear. And sure enough, Meyenberg charges $7 plus shipping for a half pound. As for "apple butter," maybe because it's spread on bread, like butter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I saw salted and unsalted goat butter at the Clarendon Whole Foods. It's $3.99 for 4 and 2/5 ounces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwertyy Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I just spent $6 on 8 oz. of Kerry Gold. Best. Purchase. EVER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pax Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I just spent $6 on 8 oz. of Kerry Gold. Best. Purchase. EVER. Their cheddar is good, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I just spent $6 on 8 oz. of Kerry Gold. Best. Purchase. EVER.That seems high. Balducci's sells it for $4-something, and so does Whole Foods.I love the Vermont Butter & Cheese Co. cultured butter with sea salt, and stared at it for several minutes today, but just can't bring myself to fork over $7-8... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwertyy Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 That seems high. Balducci's sells it for $4-something, and so does Whole Foods. Adams Morgan Harris Teeter. Everything there seems to be a buck or two higher, but I'll pay it for convenience and because unlike Safeway they seem to use extra money to keep the place clean and stocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) Land o' lakes butter on sale at Target for $2.25 a pound until Sunday. ETA: Compared to TJ's at $2.67, HT's house brand at $2.99 until Weds., as is Cabot's at $3 at HT until Weds. WF was running over $3, I think for this week. Edited November 18, 2008 by goodeats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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