Butter contains 81 percent fat, 16 percent to 18 percent water and other ingredients such as casein, lactose and salt.
Butter is made by churning pasteurized cream using batch process (35 to 45 percent fat cream) or continuous (42 to 44 percent fat cream) churns.
The yellow color of butter is due to beta-carotene which comes from the plants eaten by the cow.
Light butters are made from butter and water and have half the fat and cholesterol of regular butter. These products are fine for toast and vegetables, but can’t be used in cooking.
Sweet cream butter and sweet butter are made from pasteurized sweet cream to which no starter has been added. Ripened cream butter is made using starter-ripened cream, or cream that has a bacterial cultures added to start fermentation.
Butter is graded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDAO according to its flavor, butterfat content, purity and keeping quality, among other characteristics. Grading is done on a point system with 100 being the best. Grade AA must have at least at 93 points. Grade A at least 92 and Grade B a minimum 0f 90 points.
Average annual consumption is about four pounds for each American, about a third as much as margarine, and is used in sautéing, frying and baking.
Butter
