Ever taken a glance, at the ingredients list on a tub of margarine, or spreadable butter from your local supermarket. Surprising isn't it? It's not just butter in there is it? More than likely, you'll find some kind of vegetable or canola oil (not good for you), a whole bunch of numbers that you know nothing about, maybe some colourings, and a little bit of preservatives to go with it all if you're lucky enough.
Seems ridiculous doesn't it. When all you really want, is just some butter on your toast that won't make a whole in it when you spread it on. And one without all the junk.
If this is important to you { as things like these are slowly becoming in our household }, then you have two options. You can buy the more expensive Lurpak spreadable butter. Or you can make your own. And making your own is easy peasey, and cheaper.
So what do you need:
250gram of soft organic butter (just leave it out the night before)
1/4 cup of filtered water
1/4 cup of oil { I used grapeseed oil }
If you have a thermomix, place ingredients into the bowl and blend on speed 5 for 30-40 seconds. Stopping to scrape the sides down mid way through. Place in a container and keep in the fridge.
You could also use a conventional blender. Just avoid really high speeds so the butter doesn't splatter all over the bowl/jug.
And now the question of which oil you "should" use. Ideally olive oil, but it does of course have quite a strong flavour, so you need to make sure you use a very light flavoured oil. You could also use flax seed oil. Sunflower, canola oils are big no no's for your health, so try and avoid using these if you can. Grapeseed oil, well it depends on which book or report you read. Some will place grape seed oil in the big no no column alongside sunflower and canola oils. Others consider it to be an oil very beneficial to your health.
In all that confusion, I went with grapeseed oil. And the taste was delicious. No oily taste at all. Just soft spreadable butter. Next time I'll attempt it with a very light olive oil.
Better for your health over margarine. Without all the crap. And so easy to make.
Have you ever made your own butter before?
Love your thermomix for making random stuff like this?
This is brilliant, would love to try this. How long do you think it would keep for? xo
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read, it varies on the type of oil you use. Ours has kept for 3 weeks in the fridge and is still fine xx
DeleteOh never ever have I considered that I could do this myself. We love the olive oil spread in our house, going to do the butter + olive oil combo!
ReplyDeleteGoodluck! Think I'll try that combo next also x
DeleteFabulous idea - it's never occurred to me that I could make my own! It would be really easy to make some flavoured butters while you were at it too. Like, add some wizzed up sundried tomatoes, or herbs... yum!
ReplyDeleteSo many combinations to try out once you start thinking about it!!
DeleteInteresting idea. At this time of year, our butter is hard whether it is in the fridge or on the counter, since our house is so cold. This might be something to try for on top of the homemade bread we've been making.
ReplyDeleteWe have the opposite problem, it's too hot to keep put out of the fridge for long periods! I find if I take this spreadable butter out of the fridge, leave it for a couple of minutes while I make a coffee, that it's even easier to spread on fresh bread x
Deleteanyone tried to do it in a blender yet?? as I may try that... could not believe my butter was so full of canola oil.. 28 per cent ... love mum.
ReplyDeleteoh dear I was shocked to see so much canola in my butter.. 28 per cent...
ReplyDeleteLets see if anyone has tried it in a blender. if so could you pls comment how it went..
love mum...xx
It is worrying, and deceptive!
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