Why is our butter so yellow?

H

horusd

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I recently bought Scottish butter. It's kind of an off-white yellowy colour, rather than the rich yellow colour of "our" butter. When I lived in Austria, iand visited France & Germany t was the same. It doesn't appear to affect the taste, but I definitely prefer our butter aesthetically. And psychologically our butter seems to be nicer. Any ideas as to why our butter is so yellow?
 
Not a clue, Horusd, but when I lived in the US many years ago, we were able to buy cholesterol free butter and I didn't notice much of a difference. It always amazed me that it wasn't produced or marketed here.
 
horusd said:
... the rich yellow colour of "our" butter. .. Any ideas as to why our butter is so yellow?
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Cork butter I assume:). You could contact the food science department at UCC (formerly known as Dairy Science) and ask them.

aj
 
Its all down to the food the cows eat and the breed of cow. If cows are grazing on high quality green grass, they will have a higher levels of carotene, thus producing a more yellow colour fat (butter). A Jersey cow will produce a more yellow colour butter fat than a Friesian cow, which will produce a paler yellow butter fat.

The same goes for hens eggs, they more natural feed (grass, veg peelings) the more yellow the yoke is. Also, a White Hen will produce a white egg, a darker browner hen will produce a brown egg.
 
RonanC said:
Its all down to the food the cows eat and the breed of cow. If cows are grazing on high quality green grass, they will have a higher levels of carotene, thus producing a more yellow colour fat (butter). A Jersey cow will produce a more yellow colour butter fat than a Friesian cow, which will produce a paler yellow butter fat.

The same goes for hens eggs, they more natural feed (grass, veg peelings) the more yellow the yoke is. Also, a White Hen will produce a white egg, a darker browner hen will produce a brown egg.
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Very interesting post, Ronan. I don't mean to be flippant but, as I was reading down through it, I was waiting for you to tell us it was caused by cows eating buttercups! Sorry!
 
Lex Foutish said:
Very interesting post, Ronan. I don't mean to be flippant but, as I was reading down through it, I was waiting for you to tell us it was caused by cows eating buttercups! Sorry!
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That does help as well believe it or not... If a cow is munching away on a lush pasture and there are flowers, buttercups, whatever, it all helps with the beta carotene levels.
 
We grew up near a few farms, Ronan, and my mother, when we needed milk, always sent me, with my container, to one particular farmer who had a herd of Jersey cows. It was back in the days before pasteurisation and, when the milk was allowed to settle in a glass jug, it was amazing to see how much extra cream there was in Jerseys' milk.

Ok, I'm off to have my cholesterol checked!!!! :eek:
 
Lex Foutish said:
We grew up near a few farms, Ronan, and my mother, when we needed milk, always sent me, with my container, to one particular farmer who had a herd of Jersey cows. It was back in the days before pasteurisation and, when the milk was allowed to settle in a glass jug, it was amazing to see how much extra cream there was in Jerseys' milk.

Ok, I'm off to have my cholesterol checked!!!! :eek:
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Ha ha that backs up my first post so about the breed of cow being a factor. Oh i've a craving for some buttery baguette now :)
 
RonanC said:
Its all down to the food the cows eat and the breed of cow. If cows are grazing on high quality green grass, they will have a higher levels of carotene, thus producing a more yellow colour fat (butter). A Jersey cow will produce a more yellow colour butter fat than a Friesian cow, which will produce a paler yellow butter fat.

The same goes for hens eggs, they more natural feed (grass, veg peelings) the more yellow the yoke is. Also, a White Hen will produce a white egg, a darker browner hen will produce a brown egg.
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Thanks Ronan, that's fascinating and makes perfect sense :). So, our cows live the high life and it's not all down to someone pouring an E something numbers into it at the factory! Like Lex I remember being able to get Jersey milk, it was so creamy.I think M&S still sell it. When I was in Austria, people would pay almost twice as much for Irish butter than the local stuff. Kerrygold of course. Amazing what our image as a green country does abroad.
 
On Jersey, ( The island, not the US state), the cream from Jersey cows is yellow,and
the ice cream made locally is yellow and divine.
 
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