Butter vs. Margarine

[Netix]

I am hoping to do some baking very soon, got all the good intentions of sending predominantly homemade goodies to school with DD (she starts prep this year!).... Wonder how long that will go for..... (the homemade thing)

And I'm positive that I'm just not real sure because of my preggo brain, but butter is better (healthier) than margarine, isn't it? Thanks!

[Catastrophic]

No, but if your going to choose between two evils then I always go the butter. I can't remember where I read but it was that butter wasn't he healthy option.

(and for a good school snack idea freeze the stuff you make I do cooking every 2weeks and just freeze it)


Cat xox

[Novella]

Butter is a more natural product (depending on how it is processed or if it is organic), margarine is far from being natural

Butter is higher in saturated fat, margarine has more unsaturated fat.

So if you think organic products are healthier then butter wins, but margarine wins when it comes to the type of fat it contains.

I like the taste of butter and we have mainly lean dairy and meat products so a little bit of saturated fat isnt the end of the world

[leckert]

I think there's some research somewhere about natural fats being better for us than the low-fat stuff that's been promoted to everyone.
That aside, when cooking, unless the recipe specifically states margarine, I use butter. I use marg on sandwiches for spreadability so I always have some of both in the fridge.
I think cooking with butter tastes better (mash gets butter and not marg for taste reasons)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so sorry if I'm confusing you

[LionsandBears]

Yes, butter is better for you. Margarine is a synthetic product in that skim milk and various oils are heated to a point where they can mix, along with emulsifiers and other rubbish.

Butter is a more natural product and the fat is better for you.

[Netix]

Cat; yes, hoping to do more of my bulk cooking and baking, and use the freezer. I guess I should have asked which is the lesser of two evils...
I don't buy organic butter, but I agree that it seems 'better' than marg cause it is more of a 'natural' product, and even though butter is higher in the saturated fat, doesn't marg have some highly processed vegetable fat in it that is worse for you than the saturated fat of butter?

[MrsFabuloso]

I have no idea on the technicalities of things, but I prefer butter, purely for the fact it is an all natural product. If you look on the ingredients list and all there is in it is cream, water and salt, then I am a happy chappy.

[AnyDream]

I often use a blend of butter (because it cooks and tastes as planned in the recipe) and another healthy oil like olive, canola or rice bran oil. Just remember when substituting oil to use a lot less because butter has other things in it but oil is 100% fat.

[Phteven]

Margarine was developed in a laboratory. It's full of toxic chemicals and it's dyed yellow so that it isn't an unappetising grey colour.
Butter is made from milk and tastes delicious.

[Cherished]

Butter all the way! I'm going to start making my own in a few weeks from raw biodynamic, organic cream. I'm sure it will be YUMMMMO too. My great grandma told me once that the secret to great tasting home made cookies etc is to use good butter

[Eenee]

I would use butter here but as dairy free we use nuttelex. But yes butter is healthier as margarine is full of unnatural nasties.

[LuluHB]

We do pretty much what leckert does - marg for sandwiches and butter for everything else. When I'm baking unless the recipe specifically comments on it I use unsalted butter. I hate the thought of all the chemicals in marg, and given that most of the baking I do is for the kids (no, really it is ) and they're such scrawny little weeds I'd rather have the different/extra fat content of the butter over the nasties of the margarine.

[Netix]

Butter it is then. I can't even remember if I use marg in recipes that call for it specifically. I think I do. We also use marg for sandwiches as we don't keep it in the fridge, unlike the butter, which I always use for cooking, and i don't think its even unsalted

[Phteven]

I always use salted butter and add less salt - salt makes cakes yummier because it brings out the sweet.

I'm a full fat kinda girl

[meow]

Natural, saturated fats like butter and lard are good for you. The smear campaign against them is just based on bad science from the more profitable refined vegetable oil producers.

[Netix]

Mmm, bad science. Grr. Okay, will definitely keep on the butter. And it tastes way better than margarine anyway.

Cherished, be sure to let us know how you go with making butter. That would be a fantastic back to basic item to include in life. I would love to be able to do that.

[Cherished]

Will do Netix This is the method I will be using.


1. Put the cream (raw cream) out on the bench for at least 24 hours. (This ferments the cream a little and room temperature cream turns to butter MUCH faster than cold cream). You can put the cream into the bowl you will use for beating it. Cover with a tea towel.
2. Beat the cream PAST the whipped cream stage. You will notice it starts to look a little ‘grainy’.
3. Be attentive at this stage as the butter is only a few churns away!!
4. The cream will quickly change now to become butter and buttermilk. You will notice a distinct yellow butter and grey-white buttermilk form in the bowl.
5. Stop beating and form the butter into one lump using a spoon or spatula.
6. Transfer the butter to a bowl or sink filled with iced water (the water must be very cold so the butter is easy to work). Wash the butter in the water to remove the buttermilk (the buttermilk will sour quickly and give the butter a sour smell). Squeezing or massaging the butter under water gives the best results.
7. You can add salt at the end of washing if desired.
8. The buttermilk has many uses: in baking, as a drink, for bread making etc.

[Netix]

Interesting. I will note these instructions if you don't mind.