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Butter


Sthitch

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I just bought 1 lb. unsalted (nonorganic) 365 brand butter for $2.69.
My choice, too. WFM seems strategic in competing with Trader Joe's most directly in providing bargains on staples (spices, oatmeal...), especially in the dairy section.

I do TJ's for what Mark Slater mentions above when I am baking something special or for very special people.

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Maybe I need to start a butter thread.

Here is a good one to add onto!

Don started a thread on unpasturized butter in this forum too.

I know the Armstrongs prefer Kerry Gold based a blind taste test. Are there other brands folks prefer aside from those mentioned in this thread?

Just curious.

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After actually locating the Plugra, I discovered that South Mountain Creamery, who I get biweekly deliveries from actually makes a butter that is ~85% butterfat. My heart wants to just use theirs, but my brain says don't mess with the recipe. 

Wegman's is a good source for a number of butters that will work well.  I have a personal passion for French butter once eating almost a whole stick in a Hyatt in Paris with several croissants.  I'd never had it before and fell deeper in love with each bite.  Domestically Vermont Butter is also seriously good - Wegman's sells this along with, I think, two brands of French butter.  Balducci's is also a good source for butter including Reggiano butter.  (Yes, Reggiano butter.)

I have not had the South Mountain Creamery's 85% butter but that sounds interesting, too.

Wait until you get into heavy cream.  Lewes Dairy.  Having said this I wonder if they make butter?

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I have a personal passion for French butter once eating almost a whole stick in a Hyatt in Paris with several croissants.

The ratio of flour to butter in croissants is already about 2 to 1, so when you slathered more butter on them, you were probably achieving a ratio of about 1 to 1, a truly heroic intake of butter for which your cardiologist will surely thank you, for putting her kids through college and paying for the yacht.

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Here's a blurb from Chef Tarver King (formerly Ashby Inn, now Potowmack Farm) from yesterdays "Free Range On Food" chat at the Washington Post. They were talking about making mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving:

<<< Also, spend some money and get some really really good butter. Barrate beurre is insanely expensive. But it will send the potatoes over the moon. Theres also Plugra, etc.>>>

He had a lot of great tips and interesting suggestions on all sorts of topics too, so it may be worth a read or a skim:

http://live.washingtonpost.com/free-range-11-19-2014.html

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Barrate beurre?  Where would one find that?

i am a big fan of fermented/cultured butter but that's hard to find, too.

Edited to add, actually I think I would like to make my own cultured butter.  Melissa Clark had a column on that in the New York Times.  I also saw something on making butter just a day or two ago on one of the food sites I've been reading, can't remember if it's Serious Eats, Food52, Ideas in Food or what.

Clark cultured her butter with yogurt but I think I'd use creme fraiche.  She also washed the butter by hand but the other site directs you to wash it with water in the food processor.  Anybody tried either of these methods?

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Am I correct in imagining that the Kerrygold "piece" is 8 ounces, while the Land o' Lakes is a pound?

 Yes, you are correct that the Kerrygold is 8oz. I do recall that there is a "Kerrygold light" also on sale, but fail to note the weight.

Barrate beurre?  Where would one find that?

Eden Center grocery store or the bakeries/bahn mi shops carry the famous Vietnamese French butter (something similar to Frentel: http://www.frentel.com/, but I'm not sure) for around $5 a tin. Again, I fail to note the weight, but this is a nice splurge for our household growing up. So I have fond memories of this butter and scooping butter from cans and tins (it wasn't until much later that I understood butter really comes in "pats" and sticks...).
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Am I correct in imagining that the Kerrygold "piece" is 8 ounces, while the Land o' Lakes is a pound?

You can get Kerrygold in packs of 3 x 8 oz bars at Costco. By far the most cost effective way to buy this product.

Also because this is fascinating... Japan is currently experiencing a butter shortage leading to rationing ahead of the Christmas holiday.

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9 hours ago, zgast said:

For special occasions, we make our own cultured butter.  It's actually insanely easy and tops anything available in the stores.

That's fascinating, and I would like to try doing that. Recipe? Or instructions? 

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1 hour ago, saf said:

That's fascinating, and I would like to try doing that. Recipe? Or instructions? 

Both.  Food and wine has a tutorial with pictures. We've had house guests devour enough butter to top three baguettes in one sitting.  My next goal is to try this with some really fresh cream from a local farm.  Anyone have a dairy farm?

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12 hours ago, zgast said:

Both.  Food and wine has a tutorial with pictures. We've had house guests devour enough butter to top three baguettes in one sitting.  My next goal is to try this with some really fresh cream from a local farm.  Anyone have a dairy farm?

I could get you the hook-up in Garrett County, but that is a bit of a drive...

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