How come if I look at the ingredient list on a pound of salted butter
it has just cream and salt listed in the ingredients but if I look on
a package of unsalted butter it lists natural flavoring as one of the
ingredients? I looked at three different brands of unsalted butter
and none of them were just plain cream.

On Aug 5, 2:50*pm, " > wrote:
> How come if I look at the ingredient list on a pound of salted butter
> it has just cream and salt listed in the ingredients but if I look on
> a package of unsalted butter it lists natural flavoring as one of the
> ingredients? *I looked at three different brands of unsalted butter
> and none of them were just plain cream.

Unsalted butter uses something called 'Starter Distillate' to make the
butter taste better. It's a by-product of some bacteria or other.
That's the "natural flavoring" they were referring to. Apparently
real, unsalted butter would be pretty bland without a few carefully
chosen yeasties eating, breeding and pooping around in it.

On Aug 5, 3:24*pm, Christopher Helms > wrote:
> On Aug 5, 2:50*pm, " > wrote:
>
> > How come if I look at the ingredient list on a pound of salted butter
> > it has just cream and salt listed in the ingredients but if I look on
> > a package of unsalted butter it lists natural flavoring as one of the
> > ingredients? *I looked at three different brands of unsalted butter
> > and none of them were just plain cream.
>
> Unsalted butter uses something called 'Starter Distillate' to make the
> butter taste better. It's a by-product of some bacteria or other.
> That's the "natural flavoring" they were referring to. Apparently
> real, unsalted butter would be pretty bland without a few carefully
> chosen yeasties eating, breeding and pooping around in it.

Here's a link. Muslims take this stuff *very* seriously.

http://www.muslimconsumergroup.com/I...wing redients

On Aug 5, 12:50*pm, " > wrote:
> How come if I look at the ingredient list on a pound of salted butter
> it has just cream and salt listed in the ingredients but if I look on
> a package of unsalted butter it lists natural flavoring as one of the
> ingredients? *I looked at three different brands of unsalted butter
> and none of them were just plain cream.

Your sample of three is apparently too small. I just looked at my
package of Trader Joe's unsalted butter and the only listed ingredient
is "pasteurized cream." Then it says "annatto added seasonally,"
which I assume is for coloring as the cows' diets change. So what
others are saying about something added to boost flavor does not apply
universally. I find TJ's unsalted butter to be mildly flavored, but
adequately. -aem

On Tue 05 Aug 2008 01:20:15p, l, not -l told us...

>
> On 5-Aug-2008, " > wrote:
>
>> How come if I look at the ingredient list on a pound of salted butter
>> it has just cream and salt listed in the ingredients but if I look on
>> a package of unsalted butter it lists natural flavoring as one of the
>> ingredients? I looked at three different brands of unsalted butter
>> and none of them were just plain cream.
>
> To boost the buttery flavor to the same level as that found in salted
> butter; as with many other foods, salt enhances flavor.

The flavor of unsalted butter can be further boosted, IMHO, by putting it
in a butter dish or butter bell and holding it at moderate room temperature
(70°F or so), for several days while the flavor develops further. That
works for salted butter, too.

--
Wayne Boatwright
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Tuesday, 08(VIII)/05(V)/08(MMVIII)
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Democracy is the bludgeoning of the
people, by the people, for the people.
--Oscar Wilde
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> Here's a link. Muslims take this stuff *very* seriously.

That's borderline OCD.