Ingredient: Butter

» Jump to recipes using Butter as an ingredient

imageWe are always excited to see more Amish Roll Butter in the share box!  You may be wondering what makes Amish Roll Butter different from the butter in a grocery store?My obvious answer is taste, one taste of this butter and you will never go back, trust me.  My second answer involves the process of making the butter.  Amish Roll Butter is rolled and packaged by hand.  Rolling the butter is what lets the fat spread out and keep its flavor.  Grocery store butter is formed into sticks using machines so the butter fat is squeezed and not aloud to naturally spread out.  The butter is put into tubes for molding and shaping and this alters the natural flavors of the butter.  So, once the Amish roll butter is churned (they do this part with a machine), it is not put through equipment. Instead, the butter is hand rolled and packaged so the fat stays put and the flavor is amazing.

Here are some tricks to keep it safe and sound until you are ready for use.  

If you love the spreadability of this creamy butter, but can’t wait for it to come to temp, then a butter bell/crock is for you!  We first learned about this lovely little invention from fellow Springdellian Marian Harwood.  (Thanks, Marian!)  When used properly, it will keep butter safely at room temperature for up to 30 days!

image
Simply smush the butter into the “bell” part of the butter bell. (You need to start with slightly softened butter for this step.)
image
Add just enough water to seal the bell (an inch is plenty for this bell).
image
Invert your butter “bell” into the crock
image
and….
image
…there you have it- delicious and spreadable butter at a moment’s notice!

If you live in a warm house, we suggest keeping your crock in a cooler area.  If the butter gets too warm, it may melt and drop out of the bell and into the water.  Start with just a smidge of butter, (whatever you might use in a sitting or two) and see what amount is going to work best for you, your butter storage area, and the capacity of your inverted crock. We can’t guarantee that you’ll not begin devouring more butter with one of these around, in fact, we can pretty much guarantee the opposite.  

If you’d like to extend your butter for even longer than the date on the package, then freezing it is a great option.  

image
Start with the entire roll of butter, which is 2 pounds, the equivalent of 2 boxes of market butter. Cut it in half.
image
From there, cut it into fourths.
image
Then cut the fourths in half to make eight discs.
image
Each disk will be roughly the equivalent of one stick of butter.
image
Separate each disc with a small square of parchment paper.
image
Stack the discs into a large freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Be sure to fold and save your butter wrapper. Store the wrapper in the fridge until ready for use in greasing a baking pan or cookie sheet.

Check out our recipe for Herb Butter, it’s a wonderful way to preserve herbs for winter use!

image

Recipes Using Butter

Meatballs with Ginger Ale Sauce

by (updated 2891 days ago)
Ingredients: Butter / Eggs / Flour / Ground Beef / Lime / Soda

Sarah’s unique use of the Tower soda in our CSA box was a hit! Sarah’s secret ingredient is pesto, so grab a block from your chest freezer if you have some, or whip some up with whatever greens you may have on hand!

Popcorn on the Cob

by (updated 2494 days ago)
Ingredients: Butter / Corn

This is not just plain corn, but dried out “popping corn”. NOTHING is as good as this real-deal popcorn. As we’ve found, drying your popcorn cobs is the key factor in getting it to pop efficiently. Dry them overnight in the oven or in a dry place for a couple of weeks or so. Make sure it’s drying in a truly dry area, or you may get mold. Check out our saga on how to (and how not to) pop this corn.

Cranberry Apple Caramel Sauce

by (updated 2897 days ago)
Ingredients: Apples / Butter / Cranberries

This sweet and tart sauce balances well with a savory cut of meat such as a pork chop or a quick pressure cooked chicken wing. It’s so versatile in its flavor, you may find yourself eating it for dessert after your main course!