BUTTER
Ghee is clarified butter. Production involves melting butter to remove the milk solids and water, leaving behind a product with a higher fat content (90% or more). Ghee is commonly used in Indian cuisine and has a longer shelf-life than regular butter.
Cultured butter is produced the same way as traditional butter; however, it is made from cream that has been cultured (fermented) with lactic acid bacteria. Cultured butter has a rich aroma and a slightly tangy flavour. It also has a longer shelf-life than traditional butter.
The term ‘yellow fat spread’ is broadly used to describe all spreadable fats such as butter, margarine and blended fat spreads, whereas butter is defined as having no less than 80% milk fat, a maximum water content of 16% and it can be salted or unsalted. Margarine is a solid, malleable emulsion, mainly of water and fat from either vegetable or animal sources. It is required (by regulation) to have a fat content of 80–90%, but reduced- and low-fat versions are also available. Margarine usually contains less saturated fat than butter and it is often fortified with vitamins A and D to mimic the composition of butter. Blended spreads have a similar composition to margarine and are available in a wide range of fat contents. With the exception of butter, yellow fat spreads usually contain additives, colouring agents and preservatives.
Fresh milk from dairy farms is collected and brought to the creamery. The cream is then separated from the fresh whole milk using centrifugal force. It is then pasteurised by heating it rapidly to a high temperature to eliminate potential disease-causing bacteria and help the butter stay fresh for longer. Once pasteurised, the cream is beaten vigorously in a churning cylinder until it thickens naturally into butter. The remaining liquid (buttermilk) is drained off, and the butter is mixed and blended. At this point, salt can be added. The final product is, by regulation, at least 80% fat, about 16% water and 3% milk solids. After being weighed, cut, wrapped and chilled, the butter is delivered to your grocery store, ready for you to add to your favourite foods.
Butter is yellow because of the natural pigment carotene, which cows ingest from their diet that consists mostly of hay, silage, grains and cereals. Our bodies convert carotene into vitamin A, and because of its carotene content butter is a source of vitamin A. Very rarely, more carotene, or another related natural pigment, is added to butter to enhance the yellow. In such cases, the added pigment is listed as ‘colourant’ on the product label.