Butter: Know Your Label Lingo

No Comments | Written on December 8, 2011 at 9:00 am, by Nanette Maxim

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Butter makes our holiday cookies rich, and our mashed potatoes creamy. We slather it on warm, crusty bread and melt it for dipping lobster; James Beard said he wouldn’t make a pie crust without it. As we begin the season of baking, butter looms large. But there are so many butters, it’s difficult to know which one is best. Armed with a little bit of lingo, you can easily pick the best butter for you.

Butter, Defined: Butter is about as pure a food as you’ll find. It’s just plain cream and a bit of milk, which is churned until it becomes solid. And because it’s cream, it contains at least 80 percent fat.

Making the Grade: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) gives butter one of three grades, with AA being the top grade and the one you’ll typically find in the market. AA, says the USDA, has “delicate, sweet flavor, with a fine, highly pleasing aroma; is made from high-quality fresh, sweet cream; and has a smooth, creamy texture with good “spreadability.” Grade A has “pleasing flavor; is made from fresh cream; has fairly smooth texture.” And Grade B “may have a slightly acid flavor.” (Check out the USDA brochure, “How to Buy Butter.”)

Sweet Cream Butter: The most common butter in the U.S., it is uncultured (no fermentation has taken place), and is made from pasteurized cream. It’s available salted or unsalted, and has a creamy, neutral flavor.

Salted Butters: Salt was originally added to butter to preserve it, which, with modern refrigeration, is no longer an issue. However, some people like the extra flavor that salt provides. The salt content in these butters can range from 1.5 to 3 percent. Salted butters are fine for cooking, but if you’re watching your sodium intake or if you’re baking it’s best to use unsalted butter.

Cultured Butter: A European-style butter that has been partially fermented (naturally occurring lactic-acid bacteria are added). The base of cultured cream creates a very rich butter, and it has a slightly sharp note that’s familiar in yogurt. Typically, they also have a higher butterfat content (82–86 percent, compared with 80 percent for regular sweet cream butter). (Butters such as Ireland’s Kerrygold are cultured.)

Whipped Butter: Terrific for spreading on quick breads and muffins, whipped butter is regular sweet cream butter that has been aerated with nitrogen gas, which keeps it soft, even when refrigerated. Smooth, yes, but it shouldn’t be used for cooking—it’s too low-density.

Raw Butter: Made from unpasteurized cream, raw butter is only legally available in some states, mainly directly through purchase from dairy farmers.