While reading the newspaper, I came across an article about cultured butter. Boy, there is nothing better than homemade rolls dripping with butter and jam, butter on popcorn, or holiday cookies made with pure butter. So, can you actually improve on the taste of butter?
What is Cultured Butter?
Cultured butter’s flavor is definitely different. By looking at a container of cultured butter you will not be able to tell the difference. However, the taste of it is slightly tart, tangy, more cheesy, and full of buttery flavor.
Before the days of refrigeration, all butter was cultured. When they began the process of refrigerating milk (cream), the cooler environment stunted the growth of bacteria needed to make cultured butter. To make cultured butter, cream is exposed to live bacterial cultures. The culture are like the ones found in yogurt and cheeses.
However, due to dietary restrictions, I generally don’t have much butter in the house but use vegetable substitutes instead. But, definitely the best butter I ever tasted was homemade on a farm using a butter maker. The light pale yellow butter was served on a plain soda cracker. Hands down, the best butter ever. Of course, it is not very coinvent to churn your own butter or own a herd of cows to make the milk needed for the butter.
Where to Find it?
Now, I’ll be on the hunt on my next shopping trip for that container of cultured butter for a taste testing. Apparently, it is found in most large grocery stores and I’ll probably be able to find it in some of the farmers market-type stores I frequent. However, according to the article, this butter comes with a higher price tag. Apparently, you can, also, make a version of it if you mix butter with some buttermilk.
Ending Blog Notes
So in closing, since I’ve never tried it, so I’m not sure what’s a better butter. For my Farmhouse Magic Readers, I’ll be sure to purchase some because who doesn’t need more buttery flavor in their lives? Right?
Resource Sites: The Washington Post Food Section on “Cultured butter is the butter that’s even better”, by Aaron Hutcherson, Aug. 9, 2023 and Food52.com blog