Butter rediscovered

Mary Wilcox is the founder of Significant Outcomes LLC, an Ohio-based consultancy, providing technical and business expertise spanning both the dairy and food industries. She holds a B.S. in Biological Science, M.S. in Animal Nutrition and MBA in Business. Learn more at https://significantoutcomesllc.com.

In June of 2014, Time magazine’s cover telling consumers to “Eat Butter” changed the landscape for dairy butter consumption. The magazine reported that a “new study analyzed nine papers that included more than 600,000 people and concluded that consuming butter is not linked to a higher risk for heart disease and might be slightly protective against type-2 diabetes.”

Hence, giving consumers the permission to enjoy this creamy and flavorful dairy food once again.

Fast forward to the spring of 2020 when the pandemic created work shutdowns leaving individuals at home with nothing to do. Many individuals rediscovered the love and art of cooking. Interest in herb butters and artisan butters for baked goods, soups, sauces and sautés grew in popularity. Cooking with specialty butter wasn’t just for the restaurant chefs anymore. Use of video conferencing platforms became the norm and in-home culinary instruction and experiences expanded. This interconnection allowed Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z to explore and discover new textures and flavors.

By USDA definition, butter is made by stirring or churning milk or cream until it reaches a semi-solid state and is separated from buttermilk. By law, butter must be at least 80% butterfat. Artisan butters typically have higher fat contents, ranging between 82% to 86% fat. Cultured butters, which are common in Europe, use live cultures to ferment the cream prior to churning, which also imparts tanginess and more complex flavors.

In the United States, Vermont Creamery is one company that makes cultured butter for butter lovers. According to Kara Young, community manager at the Websterville, Vt.-based creamery, consumer appetite for simple and high-quality ingredients is driving growth of its artisan butter products. The magic happens in Vermont on local farms producing clean, natural, and fresh milk and cream. The product is then pasteurized and cultured.

Young adds that butter makers are careful not to rush the process. “As a result, culturing before churning can take up to 24 hours for the creation of their flagship flavor. Additionally, the simple label of cream, salt and cultures paired with locally sourced milk provides customers with added assurance about the quality of their products,” Young states.

Due to the higher fat content, use of artisan butters can yield flakier croissants and softer crumb structure for baked goods. When added into soups and sauces, these types of butters also provide smoother texture and finishes and a higher smoke point for cooking purposes.

Artisan butter makers are keenly focused on the quality of the cream and usually source from local and sustainable suppliers to ensure freshness. Some artisans source cream from grass-fed cows. Milk from grass-fed cows typically contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin K2, and beta-carotene which impacts the color, flavor and nutritional profile of the finished product.

Many artisan butter makers prefer to hand churn small batches of cream to best control the creaminess of the butter. Herbs, spices or fruits may also be added prior to packaging. Simple and/or biodegradable wrappers may also be used to maintain the products’ connection with sustainable practices. Some examples include Rochdale Farms’ one-pound hand-rolled butter and Minerva Dairy’s eight-ounce garlic herb butter with aromatic garlic powder, fresh parsley flakes and sea salt.

Consumer interest in butter continues to evolve with the current brown butter menu trend. Brown butter is created by melting butter over low heat until the water is cooked out and the milk solids caramelize leaving a nutty flavor and golden brown color. Menus and online recipes are incorporating brown butter as a flavor enhancement in coffees, cookies, ice creams and desserts. (See Inside the Plant this month for more).

Butter continues to be the most complex of all dietary fats, containing more than 400 different fatty acids. It provides unique combinations of short and medium chain saturated fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, butyric acid and vitamins A, D, E, B12, and K2. Many of these components are considered antioxidants and can help lower inflammation.

Continued research surrounding the overall mechanism of these components and how milkfat helps maintain gut microbiota and prevent chronic inflammatory diseases will be important. In the meantime, artisan butters are delivering incredible flavors and textures not only as spreads but also in recipes that can be easily incorporated into a calorically balanced diet so consumers can continue to love their butter and eat it too. DF