Better Butter Comes From Grassfed Cows!
Butter is having a moment. Just as alternative milks and peanut butter replacements have had their time to shine, the butter market is flourishing, thanks to paleo, keto, and other healthy fats/carb throttling diets. As a result, the butter display cooler at the supermarket, which used to be simply salted and unsalted only, has made room for a number of new choices, from European and European-style butters to organic and cultured options, to name a few. But what’s the difference between factory farm butter and butter that comes from 100 percent pasture-raised and grass-fed cows? Whether you are baking shortbread or adding to a cup of coffee for the first time, let’s take a look at why butter from 100 percent grass-fed cows as opposed to conventional, grain-fed cow butter is the better choice for health and taste reasons.
GRASS-FED BUTTER IS BETTER FOR YOU
When approached with moderation, even the heart-conscious eaters out there—and those looking to drop a few pounds—can eat 100 percent grass-fed butter without feeling guilty.
In fact, there are many, such as Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF)—dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research, and activism—who believe butter has received a bad rap. Morell outlines the health benefits of butter, which extend beyond heart health and antioxidant properties to show it’s positive effect on the immune system, bone density, thyroid health, gastrointestinal health, growth and development, and even weight loss. When choosing for healthful reasons, it’s clear Morell and the WAPF prefer natural grass-fed alternatives to conventional butter.
However, it’s not just the WAPF that believes butter from pasture-raised cows is better for you. According to a report published by the National Institute of Health (NIH), more grass means less fat, and less bad fats. A second NIH study states, “Cows grazing pasture and receiving no supplemental feed had 500 percent more conjugated linoleic acid in milk fat than cows fed typical dairy diets.” Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been called a helpful weight loss agent and studies show it may help prevent cancer, as well. In addition, just as meat from grass-fed cows have better omega 3:6 fatty acid ratios—think: better for your heart—as well as antioxidant properties—cancer fighters—so does milk that comes from the same cows! We all need a diet vacation every now and then, think of 100% grass-fed butter as the lesser-evil justification you needed to take that second cookie.
GRASS-FED BUTTER IS BETTER TASTING
Here’s where the rubber meets the road: if it costs more and if it’s harder to find, it shouldn’t taste like grass or even normal, conventional butter, should it? Rest assured, butter from 100% grass-fed cows doesn’t mean it tastes like a golf course, and, yes, it’s worth it to see what you’ve been missing. Whether the butter be vat cultured, salted, batch- or continuous-churned, it will taste creamier and richer and the taste will sit on your tongue for longer.
Most conventional butter tastes the same always. It’s steadfast reliability comes from the conditions and the food cows eat on concentrated feedlots—if a cow lives the same way and eats the same things all year round, the output foods like butter will taste homogenous, too. Not to say this standardization necessarily bad: you can rely what your product will taste like. However, when you go to a cheesemonger, you don’t want individually wrapped yellow singles or nacho cheese in a can. You want to taste the differences in diet, conditions, and craftsmanship and that’s why you splurge for a superior stilton or a peerless pecorino. The same goes with butter. Different regions, different grasses, and different styles of creating butter affect the color, consistency, milkiness, salt content, acidity, and freshness. Some butter even carries nutty or floral notes. Believe it or not, butter’s taste can reflect its terroir, just like wine. And, of course, cows aren’t the only source of butter: there’s butter that comes from different animals, too, from goats to water buffalo.
Interestingly, the butter from grass-fed cows also tastes different depending on the time of year it was produced. Butter from the early spring to summer months look visibly different, from bright golden to orangish to a lightish yellow. According to Elaine Khosrova’s book Butter: A Rich History: “More green translates into deeper yellow butter owing to the beta-carotene in plants.” As the grass cows eat grows from light green spring tendrils to late summer stalks, the cows ability to absorb the beta-carotene in their fat changes, which affects the hue and even the aroma of the butter. Some say the best pasture-raised butter comes during the Spring.
If you haven’t had butter from cows that feed in their natural environment, why not give it a try? It’s an often unexplored corner of the culinary world with a treasure trove of taste and texture on which you may be missing out. When you try our own Sweet Cream Grass-Fed Butter, you get the added benefit of knowing each 8-oz. tub comes from ethically raised animals on small farms right here in our backyard. Don’t forget to let us know what you think on Facebook, or you can add a picture of your grass-fed buttery baked goods on our Instagram page—we love seeing your meals come to life!
