The primary difference between salted and unsalted butter is just as it sounds, the amount of salt. Unsalted butter contains no added salt, while salted butter has added salt to increase its shelf life and alter the taste

When using Organic Valley Butter, the rule of thumb for substituting salted butter for unsalted butter is to reduce the added salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon per stick of butter. Most baked goods do need a little salt to enhance the other flavors, but too much can be overpowering. Reducing added salt by ¼ teaspoon per stick of salted butter will help ensure that your dessert isn’t too salty.

One reason that salt is added to butter is to use it as a preservative to increase shelf life. Salted butter is typically used for eating as a condiment since the taste is generally preferred.

If you were to substitute unsalted butter when salted butter is called for, simply add ¼ teaspoon of salt per stick of Organic Valley Unsalted Butter that is used.

Organic Valley Salted Butter is a salted, 80% butterfat butter made by churning pasteurized, organic sweet cream until the butter is rich and creamy. The butter is salted just before the churning process is complete. The salt is added to enhance the butter flavor, making it a great choice for table butter or to use on fresh bread or your favorite vegetables.

We do not use any coloring in our butter. Our butter naturally contains carotene, a result of the green pasture grasses our cows eat. This is why Organic Valley butter varies in color from season to season. In the summer when the cows are fed primarily on pasture, the milk contains more carotene, causing the butter to be a brighter yellow. In the winter, when the cows eat more stored, dried forages, the milk contains less carotene, resulting in lighter-colored butter.

We never add coloring to our kinds of butter, but Organic Valley butter does vary in color with the seasons. In the summer, when the cows are fed primarily on pasture, the cream contains more beta-carotene giving the butter a deeper yellow tint. In the winter, when the cows eat more stored forage, the milk contains less beta-carotene causing the butter to have a light yellow color.

Consuming organic butter reduces your exposure to pesticide residues and environmental toxins. Animals naturally store toxins in their fat cells, increasing the risk of these contaminants finding their way into products we rely on in our diet, such as milk and butter. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure, and consuming organic foods can greatly reduce this risk. Organic farmers do not use antibiotics, synthetic hormones, toxic pesticides or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their farms, and all animal feed and pasture must be certified organic, which includes being non-GMO.

If you use butter frequently, keep it in the refrigerator away from aromatic foods (such as garlic or onions) since butter absorbs odors easily. If you buy butter far in advance of use, store it in the freezer to protect the flavor. Freezing does not alter the butter’s taste or texture. Whether refrigerated or frozen, we recommend that butter be consumed by or before the date listed on the package.

Unopened jars of Organic Valley Ghee can be stored without refrigeration for up to one year.