Who Says We Ain’t Got No Culture?

At last, Kriemhild has dived into the classy world of Organic Cultured Butter...  ​​

What makes butter cultured? Traditionally, before the industrialization of the dairy industry that made pasteurization a routine part of our gastronomical canon, most butter in the United States was made from cultured cream. The cream was allowed to sit for hours, often overnight, so that the naturally occurring micro-bacteria could slightly sour the cream before it was churned into butter. ​

Today cultured products are made a bit differently. Since regulated pasteurization destroys all bacteria in milk, micro-bacterial cultures must be added to cream to begin a controlled fermentation. This is how our Crème Fraîche is made, and it is also the first step to making our new Cultured Butter.  Once the cream and culture has sat at the correct temperature for an amount of time, it is churned slowly in small batches to reduce moisture and increase butterfat percentage.
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Once the cream and culture has sat at the correct temperature for a specific amount of time, it is churned slowly in small batches to reduce moisture and increase butterfat percentage. By law, American butter must contain at least 80% butterfat. However, like with our other butters, our Meadow Butter and our Bakers’ Butter, we set the bar a bit higher and shoot for what is called “European Style” butter. Our Cultured Butter currently has a butterfat percentage of 84%. The higher butterfat content intensifies the natural flavor of all our butters.

Bruce Rivington, Dairy Farmer and Kriemhild Owner, unloading a small batch of fresh churned cultured butter from our churn. This butter will be carefully weighed and hand packed into 1lb blocks. (The smell is amazing!)

Culturing cream before churning it into butter enhances the natural sweetness of the cream while also bringing out a subtle, nutty, tang. Like yogurt and Crème Fraîche, the probiotics in Cultured Butter aid in digestion. Culturing also increases the acidity of the butter, which helps to tenderize dough, resulting in tender crumbs and crusts. ​​

You can use Cultured Butter for all the same things you’d use any of our butter for: baking, cooking, spreading, eating from a spoon. It’s made with the same care and attention as our Meadow Butter and Bakers’ Butter. It just tastes a bit different. 

You can find our new Organic Cultured Butter at the Kriemhild Kupboard, ​our Online Store, or at your closest Meadow Butter or Bakers’ Butter retailer.

Already a big fan? Grab yourself some Cultured Butter Merch.