Comments on: The Great Butter Tasting

By: moderndomestic

moderndomestic — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 03:13:12 +0000

Okay, so that’s a good point – and we use grassfed dairy at Treet and it definitely has a different flavor (which I prefer to more “neutral” butter). Again, though, it’s a cost thing – like, how much will that butter affect the final quality of my product that it’s worth the extra cost? I guess it’s something I struggle with as a baker, trying to develop my own tastes and flavor preferences.

By: hottoddie

hottoddie — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:45:43 +0000

One of the reasons the Kerrygold may taste more complex to you is because it is a “cultured” butter. Similar to cheeses and yogurts, the cream is cultured first before they make the butter. This culture adds a richness and complexity of flavors — thus the reason you’ll find Land O’ Lakes and other non-cultured butters to taste “cleaner”. Simply put, they ARE cleaner and less interesting, though sometimes that’s more appropriate for the recipe. But the Kerrygold cows are supposedly grassfed and that probably makes a huge difference too.

By: Facebook Fan Giveaway: The Country Cooking of Ireland | ModernDomestic

Facebook Fan Giveaway: The Country Cooking of Ireland | ModernDomestic — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:25:30 +0000

[...] peeps – it’s time for another Facebook Fan Giveaway. So, remember that butter taste test that I did a couple weeks ago – where I kind of oohed and ahhed over the Kerrygold Irish [...]

By: moderndomestic

moderndomestic — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:41:58 +0000

Hey Joe – it’s because I wanted to test stuff available at my local stores (literally, the ones I walk to in Adams Morgan), and I don’t think it’s available at any of them! I’ve seen ya’ll in Whole Foods – do you sell in Harris Teeter? I LOVE your butter – it’s all we use at Treet, and it makes a huge difference in the product!

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:25:58 +0000

So why didn’t you test Trickling Springs butter in your line up? While we’re not as cheap as LOL per lb., we are definitely less than the imported butter and we’re local! Thanks for the shout out & recommendation in the beginning. Good luck on your professional baking ventures, it sounds exciting.

By: moderndomestic

moderndomestic — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:33:12 +0000

Wait – is it $5.50 a pound, or $5.50 for 8 ounces? They only sell it in 8 ounce packages at my grocery store. If that’s the price at Whole Foods then that’s amazing.

By: James

James — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:05:03 +0000

I have always used Costco butter when baking, but now you have me interested in trying the various butters. I was just checking butter at the local Whole Foods last night and saw that the Kerry Gold was $5.50/lb…just over the price of the generic Everyday365 store brand. Harris Teeter seems to be vastly overpriced compared to Wegmans or Whole Foods.

By: Aimee

Aimee — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:09:28 +0000

I found two types of butter in my fridge and tasted. land o lakes v. harris teeter. your descriptions are scary accurate and I couldn’t agree more about the superiority of the L of Ls. Thanks again for this thought-provoking post – I learned a lot!

By: moderndomestic

moderndomestic — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:41:03 +0000

I think with flour I’d actually have to use it in a baked good to see the difference – just because flours performance isn’t only about “taste” – it’s also about protein content, etc. But not a bad idea. And, like, some of my recipes call for bleached flours when you want a really, really fine product (like, say, a very light biscuit). I think people really want some more taste tests!

And congrats on your new job – have you started yet?

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:11:08 +0000

Jenna, I can’t believe you missed Country Crock! I thought you were a reputable food blogger. Seriously though, I look forward to more posts on tastings of important ingredients. I wonder about some less obvious ones like flour. I like to think unbleached and unbromated flours are best, but am curious to see King Arthur vs. Pilsbury and the like.