Butter is the fat of the milk made from sweet cream. It may be sweet (unsalted) butter or salted. Traditionally the butter is made from the cream that has been allowed to stand and sour naturally. The cream is then churned to produce butter. Commercially cream is separated using mechanical cream separators. It is then allowed to ferment under controlled conditions. The butter is the natural fat as component of milk and is produced by the cattle (Cow).
The main constituents of the salted butter are fat (80-82%), water (15.6-17.6%), salt about 1.2%, as well as proteins, calcium and phosphorous about 1.2%. It also contains fat soluble vitamins A, D and E. The butter is not pure fat, it is an emulsion. Butter must be handled with utmost care than other fats. Warm butter can be chilled again. Milk solids in butter, burn at low temperature (121 C), and as such butter is not a useful cooking medium. To use butter as a cooking medium, it is heated at low temperature, till butter fat and milk solids separate. The butter fat is then poured off and used as cooking medium. However the distinct flavor of the butter is in the milk solids, so the clarified butter lacks the flavor and taste of the melted butter.
Butter is the only fat that is produced by live cattle, unlike other animal fats, where cattle have to be slaughtered in order to produce fat.
Butter blends beautifully with sugar and as such is the star of desserts.
Over the years, our diet has undergone a sea change. We are constantly being reminded, of the fact, that low fat diet is healthy. But as we reduce our fat intake we proportionately increase intake of sugars and carbohydrates. We have substituted fake man made fats with that of animal fats. This has resulted in rise in obesity and diabetes.
Fat actually does not make us fat. The good animal fats like butter, is very satisfying preventing cravings for snacks and from over eating. The low fat diet, on the other hand, leaves us hungry, depressed and prone to illness. We forget that fat and proteins are satisfying whereas starch and sugars’ lead to craving and weight gain.
Fat is an important cooking ingredient. It is difficult to cook without fat. Fat helps the food to brown nicely, cook evenly and to keep it succulent. Fat is an excellent carrier of flavors. Animal fats are low in polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are best fats to be used in kitchen. They are stable and when heated, don’t turn rancid. Most aromas and flavors are soluble in fat, so unless fat is used in cooking, the flavors are not released.
Highly poly unsaturated fatty acids are unstable. They are not suitable for cooking as when heated they get oxidized. The oxidized fats are harmful. They make us sick and damage DNA of our cells. They also suppress immune system. When poly unsaturated fats are hydrogenated they become full of transfats.
All of us need essential fatty acids to keep us healthy. Using large amounts of poly unsaturated fatty acids, results in increased intake of Omega 6 fatty acid. Increased intake of Omega 6 fatty acid decreases the intake of Omega 3 fatty acid. Low levels of Omega 3 fatty acid can result in cancer, liver damage, learning disorder, weight gain and malfunctioning of the immune, digestive and reproductive systems.
We all need plenty of Omega 3 fatty acid and it is naturally found in the butter and fat from other herbivorous(grass eaters) animals.
