Question about British butter

[HonestyBox]

Okay, so when I go to Italy and buy a slab of butter it is white and delicious. When I buy butter here, even though I get the best quality/organic butter I can find it is yellow and has a very 'buttery' taste that I don't always find that appealing - especially when eating it with bread and jam. How can butter be so different between countries and can I get an 'Italian' butter or similar in the UK?

Hope the collective mumsnet brain can answer this for me.

You'd better tell this organisation that what they market is illegal then! I think that margarine has a specified fat content, whereas spreads have a lower fat content - even those not marketed as "light".
Margarine is the best substitute for butter in baking because its fat content is similar to that of butter ... but butter is so much better.

well i don't know? That's why i asked! Isn't it cultures that seperate out the liquid and, erm, less liquid in yoghurt and some cheeses? (obv that's not the cultures' aim in life but a side affect of that) so thought maybe same could be true of butter? But guess then the lactic is churned sour milk.

john seymore says all milk must be cultured to make butter.

Hugh f-w says that any milk can be used but fresh/uncultured takes more churning.
Either way they both agree on the churning bit.

Stupendous thread.

Stupendous

I've just liberated myself from the disgusting tub of Anchor. Crusty bread toast and white butter. Mmmmmmmm :)

GOML- you can get President in both salted and unsalted, so your DH could have President...

BIWI- I salute you!

BIWI is our butter guru.

Thenceforth, whenever a query on butter shall arise, we should trill as one:

'BIWI - where are you?????'

Biwi...you work/ed in marketing? You didn't come up with your name/slogan did you? Please say no or i may have to wish you ill. Butter guru or no...

I just wanted to add that if your butter is straight from the fridge then use a cheese slice to cut a wafer thin slice. Melts perfectly on toast or scones.

No - I had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with 'because I'm worth it'!!!

But when I joined MN I was so blown away by how women often subsume their own lives/needs/desires to others, that I chose the name as a reminder to myself! Given that I also used to work in advertising, it seemed very appropriate.

biwi, you are a Big Butter Brain, aren't you?

Just don't put me too close to the fire or a light.

visions of BIWI sliding off slowly melting throne....

phew!

That's okay, BIWI. You may continue to reign as our Butter queen - the Boudicca of Butter maybe?

Salt has nothing to do with the color. It is depending on what cows are fed. The yellow color and buttery consistency comes from grass fed cows. It contains beta-carotene and omega-3. Grain fed cows lack those natural ingredients and the butter is white and harder.

@JonasW

Salt has nothing to do with the color. It is depending on what cows are fed. The yellow color and buttery consistency comes from grass fed cows. It contains beta-carotene and omega-3. Grain fed cows lack those natural ingredients and the butter is white and harder.

Oh bless you Jonas, you're 10 years too late and didn't read the thread explaining why you're wrong

I made my own butter a few years ago just to see if it was that different from shop bought. I used fresh double cream from the fridge and a pot left at room temperature for a day to see if the butter would develop that naice lactic taste but I really couldn't tell the difference between the two lots of finished product. I did add salt to both butters.

I use Président and Isigny Sainte-Mere now and damn the cost. Unsalted butter on really good bread with a little sprinkle of Maldon salt - gorgeous!

I'm not wrong. What is wrong with what I wrote? Salt does not affect the color, what the cows have eaten affects it.

@JonasW

I'm not wrong. What is wrong with what I wrote? Salt does not affect the color, what the cows have eaten affects it.

No, it doesn't, it's using or not using lactic acid in the process that makes the difference.

I just want to add that if you can get grass fed butter, it is so much better for you.

www.ecowatch.com/why-grass-fed-butter-is-one-of-the-healthiest-fats-on-the-planet-1882015252.html

I get sad about how much fat has been demonised.

Anyway, in the UK, the only mainstream one I can think of right now that's grass fed is Kerry Gold.

This explains that butter is yellow due to beta carotene in grass.

This explains that white butter comes from corn fed cows.

Nought to do with lactic acidosis. The US uses sweet cream methods and the butter there is pale.

@HardAsSnails, you are incorrect. See my post above.

I think President butter is quite yellow. I have never found the white butter in UK but I love it