How to Choose the Best Butter – A Comprehensive Guide

We all cherish butter, but it's crucial to understand that not all kinds of butter are equal. Differences in cream sourcing and treatment significantly affect their quality. This guide by Saxelby Cheesemongers provides essential insights on butter to help you select the perfect type for your needs, whether cooking or enjoying it on fresh bread.

Cultured Butter

Cultured butter is crafted from cream infused with live cultures. Although it was predominantly a European style and less common in the U.S., domestic producers have popularized it. The cultured cream is churned after a specific period, producing a tangy butter with a lactic flavor profile that can sometimes taste slightly cheesy, either due to damaged fat globules or extended aging, which some may find undesirable.

Sweet Cream Butter

Sweet cream butter originates from fresh, uncultured cream and holds a more standard spot in American butter production. This mild, quick-churned butter offers a sweet flavor. 

Salt Levels in Butter

Butter can be either salted or unsalted, catering to different preferences and uses. Bakers often choose unsalted butter to control the salt content in their recipes. Conversely, some people prefer salted butter for direct consumption, and choices vary as some specialty butters use various sea salts with different characteristics.

Butterfat Content

Commercial butters usually contain about 80% butterfat. Butter with higher butterfat content offers richer flavor and smoother texture, contributing significantly to its quality and spreadability. American butter must have at least 80% butterfat, while European butter contains 82%, and Amish butter ranges from 84% to 85%.

Texture and Color

The butterfat amount also impacts texture. Higher butterfat results in a smoother, richer butter, ideal for spreading. Seasonal variations and cow diet influence butter consistency. In summer, grass-fed cows produce slightly softer butter compared to winter when their diet consists of dry hay and grain, leading to firmer butter. Butter color varies by cow breed and diet, with Jersey cows producing notably yellow butter, accentuated during grazing season due to high beta-carotene in pasture plants. However, some manufacturers might add artificial coloring.

Nutritional Value

Butter, predominantly fat, contains vital nutrients like vitamins A and E, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and phosphorus. These vitamins are fat-soluble, requiring fat for proper metabolism. Grass-fed butter, richer in unsaturated fats and Omega-3, supports heart, brain, eye, and lung health, while CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) in grass-fed variants aids with fat loss, cardiovascular, cancer, and inflammation health.

Choosing Quality Butter

When selecting butter, look for minimal ingredients; sea salt and cream typically signal superior quality. Watch out for additives that affect nutrition and taste. Small-batch or slow-churn kinds of butter maintain their flavor and texture better, avoiding the pitfalls of high-speed, air-infused production found in large-scale operations.

Read also: Effective Substitutes for Eggs and Common Uses in Baking.