Time for a whole blog post about butter.
First off, when I was a kid, "butter" meant anything that came in stick form and was used for cooking. "Margarine" was whatever came in the tubs that was used for "buttering" toast or other things. (At least, that's what I remember.) I recognize that it was all margarine, but that's what we tended to call it. (I now live in fear that my sisters will all comment and refute this claim.)
My other memory of butter is that back in the day, it was a solid. Our tubs of blue bonnet margarine could sit on the counter for hours and it was fine. It softened up a bit and was easier to spread around, but it was still solid. These days, not so much. The various brands we've purchased over the years (personal favorites: "A Change for the Butter" and "Butter It's Not") are all very similar. They are very, very soft. Even right out of the refrigerator they are quite soft and easy to move around anywhere. But if you leave them out for more than a few minutes (particularly on a hot St. George day) look out! They melt and get very soft. It just starts soaking into your dinner roll. And by the end of dinner, it's turning liquid and separating. And once that happens, it's just yucky. It never quite solidifies up the same.
I suspect that the problem is caused by the progressive move away from anything that is partially-hydrogenated, or mono-unsaturated. The world is so afraid of certain types of fat, that we've switched to butter substitutes that don't have them. End result: runny butter. I just want my regular Blue Bonnet back from 20 years ago. Something soft enough to spread even when right out of the refrigerator, yet firm enough to be identifiable as a solid. At the rate things are going, I'll just be squirting some vegetable oil on my toast in another decade.
(Oh wait, we already have that, it's "I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray")
7 comments:
In my home, it was all butter--tub, sticks, whatever. To my way of thinking, margarine is just such an awkward word to say!
Maybe one of your readers has a suggestion for a better brand? Maybe I should start buying real butter instead? Maybe we're just cheapskates who buy the cheapest thing possible? (ok, that last one isn't a maybe.)
I try to shy away from margarine or any butter substitute. They frighten me. We buy tubs of spreadable butter--butter mixed with canola oil so that it spreads even when it's cold. It softens and becomes easier to spread after it's been sitting out and I've never had it turn to liquid. It is more expensive than other options, but not only is it void of trans fat, it tastes better.
LOL! NEVER use the spray-yucky! You could always make your own real butter...
The spreadable butter is good, but please note that you can't bake with it! Everything ends up greasy and covered in canola oil. Use the real, real stuff for baking.
We keep a stick of butter in the butter dish on the counter. But it's not as hot at our house at it is at yours.
We buy some kind of Land 'o Lakes spread. Pretty good out of the fridge. I've left it out a bit on my counters in Dallas and it's never been as soft on the counter as the stuff Dad uses (even straight out of the fridge). I think it's the Buttery Spread. For baking I use Blue Bonnet stick, real butter sticks and Butter Flavor Crisco, depending on the recipe. I've been told that to be healthier, most margarine has a much higher water content now than it did in the olden days.
Did you try some new butter yet?
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