Butter

[Fat Guy]

(preferably French, but English is not bad too - at the risk of offending people, I'd say it is far better than most American kinds)

European butter is for the most part cultured, and American butter for the most part is sweet. This, I think, explains much about the taste difference.

[Priscilla]

For those interested in butter there was a previous eGullet discussion on the topic.

On the freezing topic, I would freeze butter only in the most dire of circumstances, but then I am anti-freezing in general.

[torakris]

the thing I hate is that it is sold in 200 gram blocks only and when I use American recipes that call for sticks it screws me up.

Do you have a kitchen scale, torakris? I always weigh butter (it's 1/2 oz per tablespoon, or 4 oz per stick), and I've gotten to the point where I can usually slice off the exact mass I'm after. An impressively useless skill, since I'm standing in front of a scale.

Yes I do have a scale and I always use it, the thing that I hate is when a recipe just says one stick of butter, or one cup of butter, I can never remember how much one stick or one couple equals.

Now if they said one pound or 1/2 a pound, then no problem.

I now keept his great conversion scale of my refrigerator, so I no longer have to think!

I too have become a pro at measuring out the butter to almost the gram, really impresses people when they are in the kitchen with me.

[jess mebane]

I like to stockpile butter and bacon in the freezer as if they'll start handing out ration books again, and good canned tomatoes. And then we go through all three items in a matter of weeks; who was the guy that had to push the boulder up the mountain for eternity?

[carpet bagger]

Irish Cream I will find out the brand for you, tomorrow.

[maggiethecat]

who was the guy that had to push the boulder up the mountain for eternity?

Sisyphus

And I don't think there is a downside to freezing butter. Buy on sale. Freeze it.

Edited April 5, 2003 by maggiethecat (log)

[elyse]

(preferably French, but English is not bad too - at the risk of offending people, I'd say it is far better than most American kinds)

European butter is for the most part cultured, and American butter for the most part is sweet. This, I think, explains much about the taste difference.

I've heard their vegetation has a lot to do with it too.

[carpet bagger]

Irishcream the name of the Normandy butter is Echire and is available at The Beverly Hills Cheese Store.

[Jaymes]

I buy President brand Normandy butter at Costco. As I am by myself, I don't use it very quickly.

So, I freeze it. Can tell no difference.

I also buy less-expensive Mid-America unsalted butter in 1 lb blocks. At Costco, these only come in packets of three, which I freeze.

When it's time to use the Mid-America (for baking or something), I take it out of the freezer, allow it to thaw slightly, and then cut in lengthwise into four typical "sticks."

Works great.

Edited April 5, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[elyse]

Where is the Normandie butter at Costco?

Edited April 5, 2003 by elyse (log)

[Jaymes]

Where is the Normandie butter at Costco?

In our Costco here, it's President brand. It's not with the butters - it's with the other President products - brie, etc. There is a section for imported dairy products. It's there.

It's a great value and very good.

[Steve Klc]

In the restaurants I use Plugra, but at home, like Jaymes, I've been using and freezing that Costco unsalted 3# pack as well for baking--can you believe the price? It doesn't perform as a cultured butter so you might have to adjust your recipes a bit. Quality is comparable to the Whole Foods butters at $4 per pound--and it's like $4.59 for 3#.

[elyse]

Das my usual butter Steve. I'd even buy it when I could only find it inblocks. Thankfully they quarter it now. Mine was $4.29 the other day.