Please help me decide which butter to buy

[Koalamom]

I have several butters I have to decide on to stock up for winter. I don't use butter oil since I use alot of good butter. I found a deal on kerry gold for $3 lb, and bought tons of it and it is almost run out. I can't get kerry gold for that cheap right now so here are my options (if you have a comment please leave it or why you chose that option):

A. Amish roll butter- Cows are hormone free and mainly on grass, but not cewrtified organic. Salted with regular salt. Butter is naturally very yellow. Price: $3.59lb


B. Raw butter- Butter is certified organic, locallly made. The only raw option listed. Unsalted, Price: $3.95lb


C. Cultured butter- Certified Org. from Organic Valley, unsalted, cultured, cows must have acess to pasture. Unsalted. Price: $2.85lb


D. Pastured butter- Certified org from Organic Valley. Made from cows during the spring time and must have access to fresh growing grass. Unsalted. Price: $3.70

[BeagleMommy]

I voted raw local because that's what I'd get if I could afford it. Around here it's $12 per pound. All of your prices seem really cheap.
I can get Organic Valley pastured butter, but it's $5-6 per pound. The cultured isn't available around here. And the Amish roll butter around here doesn't seem to be any different from Land O Lakes.
Have a bite of butter for me!

[elleystar]

I'd go for the raw local butter, as well. The cultured Organic Pastures is made from pasteurized cream. Your local prices are really good...OP is $7/lb here! Fortunately I get raw local Jersey butter for $4/lb.

[Ruthla]

Why would you even consider anything else when you have access to raw butter?

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

Why would you even consider anything else when you have access to raw butter?

Because Dh is unemployed and we are broke. I know raw butter is the best, but we are on food stamps, and none of these butters are covered so it is all out of pocket. But I want the best anyway, just counting our pennys for it.

[Ruthla]

In that case, I'd go with option C.

And why aren't these available with food stamps? I can get Organic Valley butter with food stamps (although at $6 a pound- so I get Trader Joe's butter instead.) Or is the butter not available at these prices in stores that accept food stamps?

[Koalamom]

I am not getting it through the store. In the store it is covered, but yes, like $6.

And it is an expense sine I have to order a large qty.

[mamadelbosque]

If you can afford it go with the raw local. If not, then don't worry and just buy whatever you can afford. I just stalked up on regular butter from the grocery when it went on sale for $1.99... Not ideal, but we're poor and so I just try not to stress. At that price I'd seriously consider the raw local... I can get raw local butter, but it works out to like $15+ a pound!! (through my herd share).

[Koalamom]

Which one would be an adequate substitute for butter oil? I thought that sine we use so much butter anyway, we wont have to buy the butter oil.

[ramlita]

The raw, organic pastured butter is going to have the vitamins we look for in butter oil

I've tried the Organic Valley butters, including the premium stuff made in the spring, and it has never been anywhere near the yellow we see in the butter we make. I've heard that the color can vary some with different breeds of cow, but it weirds me out. Something doesn't seem quite right. Oh, and I just read about different breeds' milk being better or worse for humans to digest, and Gournseys were on the short list of cows that have certain good proteins in their milk, so I'm sticking to my current source

Can I ask where you are in Vermont? :
I know a local farmer who (secretly) sells some butter from his two cows, but he hates the buttermaking process so he charges $10/lb. We just skim a little off our fresh milk and make it ourselves... but if I could get in on $4/lb I'd sure stock up!

[Holiztic]

Well, I pay $10 a pound for organic, pastured, raw, local, Amish butter. I think your options sound pretty good for the money.

If the raw butter is pastured, then that definitely, otherwise I'd say C or D.

[Koalamom]

Something New!

I just learned that if I do the work myself, by making the cream into butter, (From the farm that has raw butter for $3.95 lb), I can get it for $3 lb.

I know it is work, but for that price for raw, it sounds really good. Would you pay the extra .95 to not have to make it yourself?

(and I would get to keep the buttermilk so that is a bonus!)

[ramlita]

Personally I would pay the extra 95 cents!

We get three gallons of raw pastured Gournsey milk every week for $6 each, and probably skim almost half the cream from each, resulting in about a pound and a half of butter. (and a pint and a half of buttermilk or so)

I'm so sick of making butter, eeek... we have a nice hand-crank churn on permanent "loan" from our farmer friend, and that's not a big deal. It's the washing and pressing and salting that have come to be a drag. I get casual about it sometimes, and the butter gets a little too... flavorful... for our taste waaay too quickly. I have found ways to use it up even then, but-

Yeah, I'd pay the extra. Oh, and we don't bake enough to keep up with the buttermilk at all. I've been trying to cut down on grains around here, so pancakes and biscuits and cornbread and such are sometimes-foods. Some weeks I can give it away before my fridge gets overrun with jars of chunky funk, but often I can't

Though there is an ebb and flow- I freeze about a third of what I make, and we use it during Dec-March when the cows are having their break before spring... so it sort of balances it all out...

Do you get a price break from this source if you buy a lot?
could some friends/other people go in on a large amount with you?

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by ramlita

Yeah, I'd pay the extra. Oh, and we don't bake enough to keep up with the buttermilk at all. I've been trying to cut down on grains around here, so pancakes and biscuits and cornbread and such are sometimes-foods. Some weeks I can give it away before my fridge gets overrun with jars of chunky funk, but often I can't

Do you get a price break from this source if you buy a lot?
could some friends/other people go in on a large amount with you?

No, the price isn't going to get any cheaper. That is a good price as it is. Where are you in VT? I am almost to Newport/Canada.