To give up on proper butter and go back to the spread?

[Milliways]

DH & I were both bought up with margarine.

Over the years I have become more aware of “good fats” and after reading lots on here, and discovering what margarine actually contained, we switched to “spreadable butter” (just didn’t tell DH the cost).

For a while I wanted to go to just butter, and spent a while finding my perfect butter dish, which I finally treated myself to and we made the switch.

My problem is, the butter dish is just too good and the butter remains rock hard in this cold weather. When making toast or a sandwich I am using way too much and often ripping the bread.

I scrape it very thinly from the block, sometimes use the bread board to soften it more, hold the knife over the toaster to warm it, (but for a sandwich this doesn’t work), and keep just going back to my anchor spreadable so I can get the job done.

What am I doing wrong? Any tips please, or should I just give up and go back to spread for sandwiches?

@TabbyMumz it says to keep refrigerated though

There are two butters (not spreadable) I buy that do spread pretty well even if only out of the fridge for a relatively short amount of time, and those are Loseley (sold in the spreadable section but pure butter) and Calon Wen Organic. However, you do need to go to the posh shops to buy them - Waitrose and Ocado respectively...

@unsureconfused20 - just cut a wedge off at a time to keep out of the fridge in a butter dish. I keep about a day's worth at a time in the butter dish and just replenish from the block in the fridge.

Use a very sharp knife held under hot water to cut slivers of butter.

Spreads are rank. That is all.

Use my amazing technique- rub the hard block of butter on a hard hot roast! It leaves the butter a bit crumby but hey, not a big deal!

Roast-> toast

Haven’t RTFT so may be repeating... use a veggie peeler to take thin strips off the butter, drop on toast. It melts very quickly.

Lakeland insulated butter dish - get butter to room temp before you put lid on - golden. Margarine is never the answer.

Use a food processor to mix a blend of olive oil and butter. You know what’s in it and it spreads. You can make a batch fortnightly or so and keep it in the butter dish.

@Candlecandle

We have evolved over 10 000 or so years to be able to process lactose from animal milk.

Why we drink cows milk

@gingerkittycat

Looks more medieval than evolved to me.....

Check out 'Dairy is Scary' on YouTube for a quick rundown.....

Also vast swathes of the world population remain lactose intolerant and many people find improvement in health after cutting dairy out. (For me no more sinusitus or IBS! Brilliant!)

Aside from the fact it is undeniably cruel.

I find different brands of butter are harder than others in the same kitchen- Waitrose Essentials is softer than Coop for example (similar price).

Give up on dairy and switch to spread because the dairy industry is horrible... because the palm oil industry is so lovely.

Vegetable peeler - genius!!

Aldi's knock off version of Lurpak-called Norpak- Game changer.
Half the price of the branded stuff.
I only use block butter for cooking/baking

@onionface you don't have to replace butter with something palm oil based. Though of course I agree with palm oil being something to also avoid.

I don't think not stopping doing something harmful because one of the other possible options is also harmful makes much sense. Olive, coconut and rapeseed oil can be used instead.

Kerrygold spreadable is just bitter that has been churned a bit more to make it spreadable. It's not as soft as some spreads but it's a reasonable compromise.