Make Your Own Soft, Spreadable Butter

how to make spreadable butter australia

Making your own spreadable butter is a great way to save money and reduce your single-use plastic consumption. It's also a convenient option for those who prefer their butter at room temperature, as it spreads easily straight from the fridge. The basic recipe involves blending butter with a neutral-flavoured oil, such as canola, avocado, or olive oil, and salt to taste. This results in a spreadable butter with a lower saturated fat and cholesterol content than pure butter. The process is simple: combine two parts butter to one part oil, add salt to taste, and blend until smooth. Store your homemade spreadable butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and enjoy the satisfaction of having made it yourself!

Characteristics Values
Benefits of making spreadable butter at home Cost-saving, control over ingredients, customisation, satisfaction of making it yourself
Magic ratio Two parts butter to one part oil
Cost About half the cost of commercial brands
Ingredients Butter, oil (canola, olive, avocado, vegetable, grapeseed, corn, safflower, or coconut oil), salt
Container Clean, airtight container with a secure lid
Storage Refrigerator
Use Spread for toast, bread, or other baked goods

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Using the right oil

The magic ratio for a good homemade spreadable butter is two parts butter to one part oil. You can use olive oil, but it may give the spreadable butter a hint of olive flavour. If you want to avoid this, opt for a light olive oil, which is less olive-y tasting, or avocado oil, which has a neutral flavour. You can also use canola oil, which is economical, widely available, and doesn't contribute a strong flavour to the butter. Vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, and safflower oil are other neutral-flavoured options.

If you're using olive oil, avoid extra virgin or strongly flavoured oils, as they will overpower the taste of the butter. You can adjust the saltiness and thereby the sodium by adding sea salt to taste. You can also use unsalted butter and add one teaspoon of kosher salt to make the spreadable butter salted.

When making your own spreadable butter, you get to control the ingredients. There are no mystery additives or unnecessary fillers—just pure, simple ingredients you can trust. Plus, you can customise it to suit your taste. You can add a touch of sea salt or a dash of honey, for example.

It's important to note that coconut oil is not recommended for making spreadable butter, as it remains solid at room temperature and will make your butter hard and less spreadable.

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Cost savings

Making your own spreadable butter at home is a great way to save money. While those tubs of spreadable butter in the dairy aisle are convenient, they often come with a hefty price tag. By making your own, you can save up to half the cost of commercial brands. The magic ratio for cost-effective, homemade spreadable butter is two parts butter to one part oil. With this mixture, you can achieve a cost of about $0.22 per ounce, and if you buy your butter and oil on sale, you can drive the cost down even further, to about $0.15 per ounce.

In addition to the cost savings, making your own spreadable butter gives you control over the ingredients. You can avoid additives and fillers, opting for pure and simple ingredients. You can also customise your butter to suit your taste, choosing your preferred type of oil and adding salt or other seasonings to taste.

Making your own spreadable butter also reduces waste and single-use plastics. You can reuse empty store-bought butter tubs to store your homemade butter, which helps cut down on the amount of plastic waste generated.

Homemade spreadable butter is also a healthier alternative to margarine, which is highly processed and often contains trans fats that increase cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. With your own spreadable butter, you can use healthier oils like avocado oil, which is less processed and has a neutral flavour, resulting in a spread that is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than pure butter.

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Health benefits

Pure butter is made from cream, water and salt, and sometimes lactic cultures. It is high in saturated fat, which has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity and other chronic diseases. However, butter also naturally contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fat linked to potential cancer-protective properties, as well as essential vitamins A and E. Vitamin E is a great antioxidant.

If you are looking for a lower-calorie alternative to butter that is easy to spread, you can blend butter with oil. These blends tend to be around half butter, so they still contain the nutritional benefits of butter. They are often blended with rapeseed oil or canola oil, which are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, good for health and do not raise cholesterol like saturated fats. However, creating these blends means more processing of food, which always reduces nutritional benefits. They also usually contain additives such as colouring.

Grass-fed butter is another option. Its fat content has a higher percentage of unsaturated fat, which is the healthy fat that helps your body fuel itself efficiently. Grass-fed butter also has a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation and plaque build-up in blood vessels and can make you less likely to have irregular heart rhythms.

Margarine is a spread that contains at least 80% fat. It is a step in the right direction health-wise, but it is highly processed and packed with additives like colourings and flavourings.

Overall, butter can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet in moderation.

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Storage

When it comes to storing your homemade spreadable butter, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure it stays fresh and spreadable.

Firstly, choose an appropriate container. It's best to use a clean, airtight container with a secure lid. You can reuse empty store-bought butter tubs, which also helps reduce waste. If you're keeping your butter at room temperature, make sure it's stored in a snug, airtight container away from sunlight. You can also use a Butter Bell Crock, a two-piece contraption that keeps butter fresh and spreadable for weeks. Simply pack the butter into the inner cup and fill the outer crock with water, creating an airtight seal.

For longer-term storage, it's best to keep your butter in the refrigerator, especially if it will be around for more than a few days. The refrigerator will help maintain its smooth, spreadable consistency. When storing butter in the fridge, keep it away from the door, as this is the warmest spot. Drawers are a better option, just ensure it's not next to strongly flavoured foods like onions or garlic, as the butter will absorb these flavours.

If you plan on storing your butter for an extended period, you can freeze it. Make sure to wrap it tightly in foil or place it in a freezer bag before freezing. Don't forget to label your containers with the date you made the butter, so you can keep track of its freshness and enjoy it at its best.

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Salt to taste

Salt is an essential ingredient in spreadable butter, and you can adjust the quantity to suit your taste preferences. If you want to make salted spreadable butter, you can use salted butter as your base. Alternatively, you can start with unsalted butter and add salt to taste.

One source recommends adding one teaspoon of kosher salt to your spreadable butter mixture to achieve a salted flavour. However, the amount of salt you add is entirely up to you and can be adjusted to suit your palate.

If you are using sea salt, it is a good idea to dissolve it in a small amount of warm water before adding it to your butter and oil mixture. This will help the salt distribute evenly throughout your spreadable butter and prevent clumping.

It is important to note that salt not only contributes to the flavour of your spreadable butter but also affects the texture. Salt acts as an emulsifier, helping to bind the butter and oil together and create a smooth, creamy texture. Therefore, finding the right balance of salt is essential for achieving the desired taste and consistency in your spreadable butter.

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