Amish Butter: Legit or Big Food Scam?

[grulla]

This morning, I posted the following on Mercola: Hello "Stoneharbor", I'm glad you brought up the subject of butter. Just yesterday, I spotted a 2 lb paper packaged, roll of "Amish" butter. There was no USDA organic icon or claims of being "grass fed", thinking perhaps the Amish were exempt from making those claims simply based on their reputation. But what really caught my attention was the 0% claim of (the lack of) calcium on the nutritional chart, which is why I always resort to organic ghee. Well sucker me, I went ahead and purchased it none-the-less. So just now, due to your posted comment, I did a brief online search, and it appears that my belated suspicions are confirmed, where the Amish label is mostly a marketing ploy for ordinary butter, reported in this link: www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/amish-butter-rolls

"One of the topics frequently addressed on this blog is the numerous and ever-changing marketing scams Big Food uses to trick consumers into buying fractionated, overly processed, GMO-ridden, nutrient-poor products. Identifying and “outing” these phony ploys is perhaps the single most frequent source of “thank-you” emails to my inbox from readers who, like me, never cease to be amazed at the lows large food manufacturers and even small businesses will stoop to make an easy buck. Handmade rolled butter or Amish butter is the latest scheme that needs to be exposed."

Continue reading at:
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/amish-butter-rolls/

[Islander]

Well this really burns my bacon! Over the last few years, the Amish who settled here have grown into quite a little community around me. I am particularly close to one of the families and you may occasionally see a buggy in my front yard. Consequently, I was ready to go on a tear when I read the condemnation of "Amish butter." A scam it is indeed! In fact, if you look closely at the label, nowhere is it identified as "Amish" butter, because of course it's not. It's a deceptive use of language and it's probably illegal but who will take them to court? Meanwhile the Amish people are taking a bad rap, because real Amish butter comes from organic grass-fed cattle and will indeed soften at room temperature, which is why it's sold in a tub. It also has a distinctive flavor because it's customary to let the cream ripen a bit before churning, something I'm familiar with because I made and sold my own butter for years. I trade my apple crop for Amish butter, milk, eggs and labor, and you will never find a more honest or hard-working people!

[Maurya]

Slightly off topic: As we have no dairy cows here on Saint Croix any longer, one wonders if butter could be made from goat's milk. We have plenty plenty goats here, and I eat fresh goat cheese, and goat yogurt daily, so why not goat milk butter? I shall have to ask my favorite goat person; she will know if goat butter is a thing.

[Katee]

If I remember correctly from when my parents had goats, goat milk is naturally homogenized. Meaning the cream doesn’t separate out the way it does with cows' milk.

I have heard of goat butter, I think, but suspect there must be some process to force the milk fat to separate.

[grulla]

I thought perhaps a centrifuge, but here is an article that explains something much simpler: https://www.peakprosperity.com/how-to-make-butter/

[Islander]

If you have a separator, as I did, you can easily separate milk from cream. I see no reason that it wouldn't work for goat milk as well, it may just take a little longer.

And BTW, Grulla, there is no calcium in butter so you need not fear it. Butter is pretty much a solid block of yummy fat!

[grulla]

....And BTW, Grulla, there is no calcium in butter so you need not fear it. Butter is pretty much a solid block of yummy fat!

Deja vu "Islander" that same thought recently crossed my mind. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, as in the past, I had made a list of calcium contents in various cheeses, but neglected butter. But what I have recently noted is that all the regular SM butters reads the same way on their nutritional charts, saying in so many words that the calcium content is negligible and not required measurement by the FDA. But the one Organics brand I viewed the other day gave calcium an absolute zero.

[grulla]

After giving it much thought, I have decided to return to using the organic ghee that my SM sells at a reasonable price, and keep the organic butter stored in the freezer for backup and special use.

[Islander]

Just out of curiosity, I once bought a container of ghee, and it wasn't cheap. I discovered I really didn't like the taste, so rather than discard something bought with good money, I used it up in places where the flavor of herbs and spices would disguise it. The butter that my ancestors have consumed for centuries suits me just fine.

[grulla]

"Just out of curiosity, I once bought a container of ghee, and it wasn't cheap. ..." USDA organic Carrington Ghee at Wally. SRP, which may vary around the country; 12 oz tub $10.58 USD

[Islander]

Like I said, not cheap! For a dollar or so more, I can get a full pound of delectable imported European butter (either President or Finlandia) at my local supermarket. What is so special about ghee? What motivates you to spend that much on clarified butter?

[grulla]

.....What is so special about ghee? What motivates you to spend that much on clarified butter?

As I had originally said before, organic ghee usually has zero calcium, whereas most all butters list small amounts of CA, unless perhaps the butter is USDA organic, which I have now decided to store some in my freezer. And also, ghee stores well at room temperature.

[Islander]

Giving up.
I thought we agreed there is zero calcium in butter, but be that as it may, my supermarkets have dropped all the imports and are promoting the world's blandest butter, something called Challenge. Now I'm buying my butter from the Amish. It actually tastes like homemade.

[grulla]

Giving up.
I thought we agreed there is zero calcium in butter, but be that as it may, my supermarkets have dropped all the imports and are promoting the world's blandest butter, something called Challenge. Now I'm buying my butter from the Amish. It actually tastes like homemade.

To be more clear, all the recent supermarket butter nutritional labels that I have read, (except the Organics brand butter), have a disclaimer below that the FDA allows, saying in so any words, "Not a significant source of dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, CALCIUM, iron, and potassium." Well, most of us health advocates know what that FDA disclaimer can amount to. Just another "out" for the GMA (nka the CBA) food producers. https://consumerbrandsassociation.org/