The first thing to check when choosing quality butter is the ingredient list. Real butter should contain only cream (or milk) and salt, if it is salted. Vegetable oil, water, or emulsifiers may indicate a butter-and-margarine blend. Color is another clue: quality butter is usually naturally pale to deep yellow, while an unusually bright or artificial-looking yellow may come from added coloring. The fat percentage on the package also matters. Real butter generally contains more than 80% fat; products below that level may contain more water or other ingredients and behave differently in cooking.
What Does the Ingredient List Tell You?
Real butter is made by churning cream until it separates into butterfat. Its ingredient list should contain little beyond cream. If it lists vegetable oil, palm oil, or a “fat blend,” the product is margarine or a blended product rather than butter. These products are often less expensive but behave differently in cooking and frying. Salted butter lists its salt content on the package. Butter with a higher salt content can be stored longer, but when using it in sweet recipes, adjust the recipe's salt accordingly.
How Can You Evaluate Color and Texture?
Butter's color naturally varies with the season and the cows' diet. Butter from pasture-raised cows is usually a deeper yellow because beta-carotene in the grass carries into the fat. When left at room temperature, butter should soften smoothly; this indicates that no air or water has been mixed in. When cutting butter straight from the refrigerator, the inside should match the outside in color and texture. A noticeable difference between the inside and outside may indicate that the product was stored incorrectly for a long time.
How Can Smell Indicate Spoilage?
Fresh butter has a mild, creamy, neutral smell. A sharp, sour, or moldy smell may indicate that the butter is becoming rancid. Rancidity is usually caused by prolonged exposure to air and light, so check that the package is tightly sealed when buying. Butter with discoloration on the surface, especially darkened edges, may have been left open or stored incorrectly; avoiding such products is recommended.
Common Mistakes When Buying Butter
A common mistake is assuming that every yellow, cube-shaped product is butter without checking the label. Margarine products that look very similar to butter may be sold in the same section of the grocery store. Another mistake is carrying butter from an unrefrigerated shelf in a bag for a long time; extended time at room temperature can affect its texture and flavor. Buying a large package and using only a little is also common. Even in the refrigerator, opened butter can absorb odors over time, so storing it in a sealed container and buying a size that matches how quickly you will use it is recommended. Automatically choosing the lowest-priced product is another mistake. Very inexpensive products may have a lower fat percentage than the label suggests, so check the fat content as well as the price.