A conversation on butter

[Teenytoona]

What's all the fuss about Kerrygold? Their products are from grass-fed cows? Is there something else that's superior about them?

I see their butter in the store - $3.19 for 1/2 pound. I then compare that to our local company - grass fed, pasteurized, but not ultra. And they average $4-5/lb depending on which store I buy it from. Is there something fancy about kerrygold? Or is it just a good thing to buy if you have no local source.

And then - above referenced local butter company sells butter in a roll. I've never figured out a great way to keep it other than slicing it and setting it on a small saucer. do they make a fancy butter dish to accomodate butter rolls?

[Brown Lioness]

Well, for me I love Kerry Gold, because other than Organic Valley's limited spring/summer edition butter, it was the only grassfed option other than raw butter in my area. I pick Kerry Gold over Organic Valley because i think it tastes better. But thas about it, lol.

$3.19 for a 1/2 lb is kinda steep tho, ours is like $2.69 here.

[cristeen]

Well, the only grass fed options I've found are raw butter at something like $20/lb, a local cultured butter (which I don't actually know whether it's grass-fed) for $10/lb or I can get Kerrygold for about $6/lb. For me, there's no question with that price difference.

[pandora665]

We pay $2.69 per 1/2 lb at Trader Joe's. Other options range from $8-10+ per lb for cultured and/or pastured butter. If I had a local grass-fed source for $4-5 per lb, I'd be snapping it up by the cart!

[Teenytoona]

Holy guacamole, that's some price difference! Makes me wish I knew about TF back when I lived in Vegas, so I could compare the prices. It's nice to live in farmable areas.

Anyone know anything about butter roll storage?

[Magelet]

I generally just leave it in the package, and peel the package back as I go. (Not that I often get the butter that sometimes comes in a roll, because its like.. 5-6 dollars a half pound.)

[7thDaughter]

>>What's all the fuss about Kerrygold? Their products are from grass-fed cows? Is there something else that's superior about them?<<

Butter from grass-fed cows is one of the few things we can get that is high in Vitamin K2, which was identified 60 years ago and called Activator X by Weston Price during his research on traditional diets across the world. K2/Activator X is essential for processing calcium in the bones & teeth & nervous system. Google it.

[Teenytoona]

7thDaughter, I'm aware of all that. I just wondered if there was something special besides the grass-fed part to KerryGold's butter, folks here seem to go in for it and I wondered how it compared to my local brand of grass-fed butter.

Thanks Magelet! that's what we do sometimes. Sometimes I slice about a 1.5 inch thick slice and pop it onto a saucer for easy access. It just wish I had some sort of coverable dish for it on the counter.

[Magelet]

http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/crocks.html try one of these? but don't get one with the sides that round IN, cause it's hard to pack the butter in air-free, and it's hard to get the butter out, and hard to clean. I think I'd love it with straight sides, but with the sides that go in, I don't use it.

[Llyra]

I think the thing about Kerrygold is that for a lot of us, it is the most affordable grass-fed butter. I can get local raw butter for an exorbitant price. I can get the Organic Valley pastured butter for like $7 a pound. Or I can get Kerrygold for $4.50 a pound.

If you have a good source of affordable local pastured butter, then that's obviously the best choice.

[wagamama]

While we are on the topic, does anyone know whether Kerrygold is organic as well as grassfed -- i.e. are the grazing fields sprayed?

[serenbat]

While we are on the topic, does anyone know whether Kerrygold is organic as well as grassfed -- i.e. are the grazing fields sprayed?

they certainly don't say that they are organic and a friend from Ireland reminds me they also do spray in Ireland and certain companies love to green-wash if you are organic most love to shout it-there is Irish butter that is organic but very hard to get-marketing!!

Kerrygold gets their milk from several locations-if that matters to some

[Gingercat]

I' ve asked this myself in the past about Kerrygold when I saw that there is a big fuss over it there in the US!

Honestly, are you aware that Kerrygold is one of the most commercial butters here in Europe? It can be found pretty much everywhere (same with Kerrygold cheeses)...

It is not organic and it is pasteurised. It may be a good option if you cannot afford organic butter but still I'd be reluctant to use it often, there are so many way better and affordable options...

[russsk]

I'm not thrilled with Kerrygold, but the local grassfed options are too hard for my tastes. I love European style butter, though. If I could find local, grassfed European style butter I'd be in heaven.

[Teenytoona]

Originally Posted by Magelet

http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/crocks.html try one of these? but don't get one with the sides that round IN, cause it's hard to pack the butter in air-free, and it's hard to get the butter out, and hard to clean. I think I'd love it with straight sides, but with the sides that go in, I don't use it.

Oooh I'd love one of those. But I don't think it's in my near future. Ah well, a gal can dream.

Originally Posted by Llyra

I think the thing about Kerrygold is that for a lot of us, it is the most affordable grass-fed butter. I can get local raw butter for an exorbitant price. I can get the Organic Valley pastured butter for like $7 a pound. Or I can get Kerrygold for $4.50 a pound.

If you have a good source of affordable local pastured butter, then that's obviously the best choice.

Thanks Llyra! $4.50/lb is a good price for them, from what I've seen. I feel luckier that my local grocery chain carries my local butter for $7.99/2lbs and my local HFS carries it for just under $5/lb. Very lucky. It is pasteurized, but it's not ultra-pasteurized, which for the price, I will take. I am sure raw butter is a pretty penny, and I don't have any pennies that are that gorgeous.

Originally Posted by Gingercat

I' ve asked this myself in the past about Kerrygold when I saw that there is a big fuss over it there in the US!

Honestly, are you aware that Kerrygold is one of the most commercial butters here in Europe? It can be found pretty much everywhere (same with Kerrygold cheeses)...

It is not organic and it is pasteurised. It may be a good option if you cannot afford organic butter but still I'd be reluctant to use it often, there are so many way better and affordable options...

Well I can't speak for all Americans, but I sure don't know much about Kerrygold, so I certainly didn't know that.

Originally Posted by russsk

I'm not thrilled with Kerrygold, but the local grassfed options are too hard for my tastes. I love European style butter, though. If I could find local, grassfed European style butter I'd be in heaven.

So what's different about european styled butter?

[buckeye_bebe]

Can't make a square meal with round butter!

[PlayaMama]

Originally Posted by 7thDaughter

>>What's all the fuss about Kerrygold? Their products are from grass-fed cows? Is there something else that's superior about them?<<

Butter from grass-fed cows is one of the few things we can get that is high in Vitamin K2, which was identified 60 years ago and called Activator X by Weston Price during his research on traditional diets across the world. K2/Activator X is essential for processing calcium in the bones & teeth & nervous system. Google it.

i'm only laughing because this is a tf forum and i'm totally amused that someone would offer this information in response to the bolded and then tell you to google it. google is going to pop up this forum!

teeny- i have one of these for my butter and i love it

http://www.tias.com/11752/PictPage/3923761278.html

as for the rolls...hmm.. i think the slices sounds like the best way to go, sorry i'm not more helpful!

[mum4boys]

Originally Posted by Magelet

http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/crocks.html try one of these? but don't get one with the sides that round IN, cause it's hard to pack the butter in air-free, and it's hard to get the butter out, and hard to clean. I think I'd love it with straight sides, but with the sides that go in, I don't use it.

We actually use the one with rounded sides. We have no problems cleaning or packing the butter.

[Millie Ivy]

So the next question might be.... Which is more important, when on a budget, organic butter, or grass fed butter, aside from the raw vs. pasteurized discussion.

[serenbat]

we do ORGANIC-more concerned about the pesticides same reason we don't do raw milk (in out area, they eat pesticide grass) not worth it to us