What happened to Canadian butter?

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, jimb0 said:

we’d get rotate a dairy cow onto our farm. 

I cannot get the picture out of my mind of you  rotating a dairy cow!   How did you get the butter out of its udder?

[chromedome]

9 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I cannot get the picture out of my mind of you  rotating a dairy cow!   How did you get the butter out of its udder?

You need a big spit, but on the upside it's self-basting.

[jimb0]

48 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Yup.  I looked into this once also, and in monetary terms, it just wasn't worth it.

 

47 minutes ago, Nyleve Baar said:

Unless you have your own cow or are able to get organic cream for a good price, you'll be dealing with the same milk that comes from the palm-oiled cows.

 

 

first, this isn't about the palm oil, really, as i'm not concerned about that. strictly flavour.

 

but to the point, organic butter tends to be expensive. cultured butter is expensive. organic, cultured butter is, as you might expect, very expensive. you can pick up a litre of good cream, culture it on the counter, and then whip it into butter and make a superior product for eating - again, we're talking about small amounts of butter like you might spread on bread, not the pounds of butter you cook with. 

 

if it's a pain to do, it's a pain to do, that's fine and dandy. but i don't think it's an unreasonable cost for small amounts of butter.

 

16 minutes ago, chromedome said:

 

Well, it's a 454 g brick, aka a pound by any other name, though that's not the point.

Pull back the foil, cut off your piece, fold back the foil...just as one does with cream cheese and many other things. Not a big deal. Though as I said above, it's basically down to personal preference and what you're used to.

 

yeah, i mean, this is all we do. when i bother putting it back on the fridge and don't just leave it out open on the counter, anyway :V

 

11 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I cannot get the picture out of my mind of you  rotating a dairy cow!   How did you get the butter out of its udder?

 

oh, you know, if you spin her really fast it just squirts out. 

Edited February 28, 2021 by jimb0 (log)

[Anna N]

Just now, chromedome said:

You need a big spit, but on the upside it's self-basting.

But I thought they were making butter. I’m telling you I could not stop laughing at the very thought. Would that be rotating a cow or churning a cow?

[AlaMoi]

t'ain't butter, but it's big spit....

[ElsieD]

I was at Metro today, a supermarket chain.  These are their current prices for Lanctantia butter.  The butter below is Selection, the store brand and it isn't much cheaper.

[TicTac]

That's the same price as I pay for Sterling butter - insane!

 

(which BTW is excellent!)

 

 

[chromedome]

IIRC those are about the regular prices where I am, as well.

I never pay regular price.

[TicTac]

In fact I can find Sterling often for around $6

 

When I feel like a splurge and am down at Cumbrae's (local butcher) I get some of their fresh churned butter from Quebec.  Now that stuff is unreal.  Around $8 for a container.  My guess is around 500-750g...

 

 

[jimb0]

i usually end up paying around $4/block for butter (mostly but not always store brand). 

[chromedome]

3 minutes ago, jimb0 said:

i usually end up paying around $4/block for butter (mostly but not always store brand). 

In my area Shoppers puts Atlantic or No-Name on for $3.49 or $2.99 most weekends (limit 2, used to be 4); Superstore and No Frills do so sporadically (every 4-6 weeks, except near baking-oriented holidays when it's more frequent) but put a wider selection of brands on sale; and Sobeys somewhat less often...perhaps every 2-3 months.

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, TicTac said:

In fact I can find Sterling often for around $6

 

When I feel like a splurge and am down at Cumbrae's (local butcher) I get some of their fresh churned butter from Quebec.  Now that stuff is unreal.  Around $8 for a container.  My guess is around 500-750g...

 

 

 

What is the Quebec brand?  Given that Quebec is just across the river, I'll check it out.

[ElsieD]

I just remembered that when I visited my niece in Fayetteville, NY we used to go to the Farmer's Market there.  One place, Kriemhild Dairy farms, sold amazing butter.  The fat content was a minimum of 85%.  I'd stock up whenever we were there and invariably i used to get gifted that butter every Christmas.  Alas, my niece has moved back to Canada.

[TicTac]

54 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

What is the Quebec brand?  Given that Quebec is just across the river, I'll check it out.

I believe it is called "Societe Orignal"

 

Looking at their site, I cannot seem to find the butter, however!

 

Touch base with them, worth a shot.

 

[FauxPas]

I guess my other question is whether anyone is concerned about the use of palm oil in dairy? 

 

There is nothing illegal about giving palm oil to cows, though little research has been done on how giving palmitic acids to given to dairy cows could compromise the health of both animals and humans. What we do know is that palm oil may increase certain heart disease risk factors in some people. The effects of palm oil production on the environment, health and lives of Indigenous people in different parts of the world are well documented and deeply concerning. 

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/opinion-buttergate-and-the-hard-truth-about-canadian-butter-1.5320211

[Nyleve Baar]

I am concerned about feeding palm oil to cows. Not only does it appear to have some health repercussions for both humans and animals, it is an environmentally damaging product. I don't want it - not in my butter, not in commercial baked goods, not anywhere.

[liuzhou]

Buttergate was years in the making

 

Interesting article

 

Quote

Early on, the Dairy Farmers of Canada stated that nothing was wrong. Then, on 19 February, they acknowledged that something needs to be addressed and created a committee to investigate the matter. On 25 February, the group halted the practice and launch an investigation – quite the U-turn.  

 

 

[Anna N]

10 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Buttergate was years in the making

 

Interesting article

 

 

 

Thanks.  I could not access the article that you linked to for some reason. I was able to get a good handle on the story here.

[liuzhou]

7 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Thanks.  I could not access the article that you linked to for some reason. I was able to get a good handle on the story here.

 

Good, virtually word for word the same article.

[liuzhou]

On the other hand...

'Buttergate' debunked: No evidence butter is harder due to palm supplements for cows.

 

Note: The author has close ties to the dairy industry. Top marks for full disclosure.

 

Quote

Stephen LeBlanc receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. In the past 5 years, he has received research funding from Landus Coopertive (an animal nutrition company) and Elanco Animal Health Canada. He received research funding from Dairy Farmers of Ontario in 2013, and from Dairy Farmers of Canada from 2012 to 2016.

 

[Anna N]

More on Buttergate. 

[ElsieD]

I just used a pound of Selection butter.  My normal butter of choice is Lanctantia.  The Selection butter softened to the same extent as Lanctantia, so no difference there.  However, when I went to cut a hunk of butter off the Selection, it was harder to cut through.  Not much of a test, but upthread I did say I'd see if there was any difference between the two.  Not much of a sample so probably meaningless, but there you have it.

[Kerry Beal]

I picked up a couple of pounds of Gay Lee butter on sale and I found them much softer at room temperature than the Natrel I've been getting at Costco. Much preferred for butter the bread for the rug rats lunch as it doesn't tear the bread. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Apologies in advance for thread drift, but for about a year we have been buying and very much enjoying Irish and Finnish butters.    $3.99/8oz.   Lovely color and flavor, excellent melters.     I have to admit that we go through a LOT of butter.    These (Finlandia and Kerrygold) fit our use and taste. 

[Kerry Beal]

1 minute ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Apologies in advance for thread drift, but for about a year we have been buying and very much enjoying Irish and Finnish butters.    $3.99/8oz.   Lovely color and flavor, excellent melters.     I have to admit that we go through a LOT of butter.    These (Finlandia and Kerrygold) fit our use and taste. 

I very much enjoy those butters but in Canada they are extremely dear so a rare treat.