Updated Grass-Fed Butter Review
As most of you already know, I'm a huge fan of grass-fed butter. Not only is it far superior in the nutrition department compared to conventional, it also tastes fantastic. You haven't truly lived until you've tasted fresh bread, mashed potatoes, popcorn, etc. etc. topped with a great quality butter. It truly is so much better.
It used to be pretty hard to come by grass-fed butter in our town. Thankfully most stores now carry at least one brand of grass-fed butter if not more. Our local Walmart actually has 2 now! So if you're discouraged because you think you can't locate grass-fed butter, take another look. Some grocery stored are even willing to special order it for you. That's what I did when I wanted to try out Anchor butter.
A few months ago I published a review of 5 different brands of grass-fed butter. Since writing that review I have found 3 more brands of grass-fed butter that I'd like to share with you! I'll be delving into the taste, color, ingredients, price, and more!
Let's get started.
PRESIDENT BUTTER
The claim: "France’s #1 butter is made from high-quality cultured creams in the northwestern portion of France referred to as the “Grand Cru” of European dairy regions. Its oceanic climate, rich soil, and lush grass help produce butters that are distinctly rich and savory."
I was curious if the cows are given GMO feed, so I contacted President butter and here's what they said:
"[The] Cows are mostly grass fed. – When not fed grass what do they eat. Depending on the season the cows are fed grass, grass silage, corn silage, grain concentrates, concentrated protein-based grains (like soy, rapeseed meal or flax ...) It is GMO free."
Ingredients: Pasteurized cream, salt, cultures.
Salt: There isn't a lot of information about this butter online, so I'm not sure exactly what kind of salt is used.
Color: I'd say that this butter is slightly more pale than Kerrygold (which I'll be using as the standard in this post since it won in the color category in my previous review).
Here you can see what the butter looks like on the inside. Sometimes butter has a different color on the outside, so I cut off a chunk and turned it on its side so you guys can get an accurate picture of the difference in color.
Taste: President Butter is a cultured butter, so it has a bit of a tang to it. It's definitely less tangy than either Organic Valley Pasture Butter or Anchor butter, so if you're a cultured butter noob this might be perfect for getting your toes wet!
Availability: I have only seen this butter in Whole Foods. It isn't available in our small town.
Price: This was very pricey at Whole Foods: $5.99 for half a pound! I'm sure you could find a better price at a different store...their Kerrygold was over a dollar more expensive than at our local Walmart.
MOUNTAIN VIEW BUTTER
The claim: "The cream used for Mountain View butter is produced by family farms that pasture-graze their dairy cattle on the foothills and valleys of the Southern Alps of New Zealand. These dairy cows have daily access to grass pastures and forage.
Mountain View butter is made from fresh rBST-free pasteurized cream. The New Zealand farmers ensure the milk used for Mountain View butter contains no preservatives, antioxidants or food additives."
You can read more about Mountain View Butter HERE.
Ingredients: Pasteurized cream, salt.
Salt: No specific type of salt is specified, so I would assume it's just "regular" salt.
Color: This definitely surprised me: the Mount View butter was actually more yellow than Kerrygold!
Taste: This butter doesn't have a super distinct flavor. Just straight-up yummy butter. 🙂
Availability: Our local Walmart caries this butter, so I would assume it's pretty easy to find nationwide.
Price: I think it was $3.44/half pound, but I'll make sure to check next time we're in Walmart.
Vital Farms Alfresco Butter
The claim: "Small herds of suitable breeds (Jerseys and Guernseys for example) are tended by experienced American family farmers on well-managed lands. They are free to graze every day, and supply a rich, high-fat milk that is just right coming off the farm."
This butter isn't completely GMO-free. Vital Farms states: "Grass foraged from pasture is the primary component of our cows’ diet. While they are free to graze as much as they like, due to seasonality and weather, some of our farmers choose at times to supplement their diet with other feedstuffs including some grain (much of which is non-gmo)."
I think it's pretty cool that the milk is mostly from Jerseys or Guernseys. Also, this butter is very high in butterfat: 85%. You can read more about Vital Farms butter HERE.
Ingredients: Cream (milk) and sea salt.
Salt: Sea salt is listed, but I assume it's refined.
Color: In the picture it's coming off as more yellow than Kerrygold, but in real life it looked similar or slightly lighter.
Taste: Again, this butter didn't have a super distinct flavor, but it was still good. But not as good as Kerrygold...
Availability: I have only seen this as Wholefoods, but some Targets carry Vital Farms products.
Price: Again, I can't remember exactly how much this cost, but I'm pretty sure it was in the $3.50-$4.00 range. I'll check next time I get to a Wholefoods. (Edit: I checked and it's $4.39 at Wholefoods)
So, are any of these grass-fed butters worth buying?
Well, you know me: I love to try different butters, so of course I think it's worth it.
But if I were to choose one of the three to try, I would say the Mountain View butter is most worth it. It was a deep yellow color, it was available at Walmart, and it was the most affordable of the three. The President butter is still fun to try because it has the zippy cultured taste. And I'm pretty impressed that most of the cows that produce cream for Vital Farms are either Jerseys or Guernseys.
So give 'em all a try if you can!
I personally still buy Kerrygold most often because it's the most affordable grass-fed butter in our area. And it tastes the best.
What's YOUR personal favorite butter?
Have you heard of D'Isigny butter (from the same region as President butter)? It is outstanding!! We discovered it during our travels to Normandy and the Cotentin region of France. It is naturally rich in nutriments due to the warm, temperate climate by the sea which favors the rich pastures full of mineral salts. I've found it at Whole Foods, but is pricey.
I just bought some for Reuben's mom for Christmas, but I didn't try any. 🙂 I'll see if I can track it down next time we're at Wholefoods. Thank you for the recommendation!
Actually, after commenting, I went to Whole Foods and discovered they don't carry it any longer.. Perhaps your local grocer could order it for you. Their corporate name is Isigny Sainte-Mere and their website is http://www.isigny-ste-mere.com.
Aw, that's too bad! I might have to see if a grocery store will order it for me. 🙂
Do you know if mountain view has gmos? I'm still disappointed about kerrygold having them even though it is still my go to outside of making my own out of raw cream (which is not always available and is very expensive).
I'm not sure - I'll have to email them. I'll let you know if I find anything out!
I just happened upon your site. I was greatly disappointed that Kerrygold uses GMO feed to supplement their cows diet.
From your list of butters, I think I am most interested in trying Mountain View but I would also like to know if they supplement the diet of their cows with GMO feed.
Also, I have a girlfriend who is also a butter lover. She prefers Plugra over Kerrygold. Can you please review or let me know if Plugra has GMO's in it?
If Plugra was grass-fed or the cows were given non-GMO feed, I think Plugra would want to prominently advertise that on the packaging. So I would assume that the cows are not fed a non-GMO diet.
https://www.grassland.com/non_gmo.php
Mountain View Butter does not have GMO's in fact, both salted and unsalted butters are part of a nonGMO project of some type. The website grasslands has more information.
That's great that their cows are given non-GMO feed! So it's a step above your run-of-the-mill butter. But I don't see anything about being grass-fed, so I don't think it would be as nutritious as the butters I reviewed here. 🙂
But you did review it here.
Ah, you're right! I was thinking that Nandarani meant the "regular" Grasslands butter, not their Mountain View variety. My bad! 🙂
@Anna W., Kerry gold butter doesn't have GMO's . The cows are out crazy 300 days per year . They are fed silage indoors.
How do you store your butter? I know that sounds weird, but my in laws keep a stick on the counter so that it stays spreadable for bread/toast. How do you keep yours ready for toast?
I generally keep mine in the fridge. For some reason, I much prefer the taste and texture of cold butter. Haha! But it IS annoying to try to spread on toast. I'm usually not organized enough to remember to take my butter out of the fridge the night before, so I end up scraping thin slices of butter off of the top of the stick, putting them on the hot toast, and waiting for them to melt. Ha!
I read somewhere that butter is fine left out on the counter for up to two weeks. Not sure if that's true or not. But I would think that a week would be just fine. 🙂
We leave our butter by the toaster for more than a week. It never sours before it's gone.
My family has always left butter on the counter. My grandparents leave a stick in their cupboard in a covered dish, but I have a specific butter dish (butter boat, not a butter crock) that uses cold water to keep the butter somewhat insulated. It keeps the butter a bit on the cool side, but still warm enough to be super spreadable. I use it with my Kerrygold salted butter and lemme tell ya; nothing better on toast! This is the specific one I use (not an affiliate link or anything like that): https://www.amazon.com/Old-Home-Kitchen-Butter-Porcelain/dp/B004VCJE1Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1526490582&sr=1-1&keywords=Old+Home+Kitchen+Butter+Keeper%2C+Porcelain+Butter+Boat%2C+White&refinements=p_n_srvg_2947266011%3A2972996011
Side note: UNsalted butter doesn't last as long on the counter. The salt is a natural preservative that helps keep butter safe to consume, so unsalted butter shouldn't be left on the counter for more than a few days. Salted butter can be left out for up to two weeks, or until you notice it turning bad (telltale signs: scent and taste; if it smells or tastes off, toss it!).
My mom gave me a butter bell a while back - I should give it a try!
Good point about unsalted butter! I rarely buy unsalted butter, so I didn't even think of that. 🙂
I beat together 1/2 pound of soft butter with 1/2 cup organic olive oil and keep that in the fridge. We live in a hot area, So butter left on the counter turns oily. It's just the right consistency for spreading.
That sounds lovely!
Years ago my favorite The Frugal Gourmet suggested mixing a stick of softened butter with 1/4 c olive oil and a Tbl of lecithin.
This makes a more healthy & digestible soft spreadable and delicious butter ( blend.)
I haven't heard of adding lecithin to a butter/olive oil spread before. Interesting!
Get a butter bell. This permits you to keep your butter out of the fridge. Because of its design it prevents exposure to oxygen which will turn butter rancid.
@Edmund Brown, A Butter Bell works good. Also, has anyone tried Minerva Dairy Butter from Minerva Ohio? I have heard good reviews about it and 85%
How big do you think the market for 100% grass-fed butter could be? I think the spring flush of milk from Maple Hill Creamery and Organic Valley's "Grassmilk" should go to butter...
I'm not sure what the market is like, but I think it's growing all the time as consumer become educated about the benefits. 🙂
My favorite is President! Kerrygold seems a bit bland. I grew up in Wisconsin with homemade buttter and occasionally Land O’Lakes butter. President is most reminiscent of my homemade childhood butter. We always kept the butter on the counter and it never got rancid. I still keep my butter on the counter. It’s fine for a few weeks, and I don’t have to worry about the open stick getting the “refrigerator” taste.
Yes, the cultured butters definitely have more of a tang, eh? I would keep my butter on the counter too, but I actually prefer cold butter. Weird, huh? But I do like it soft for spreading on toast. 🙂
@Erica Kastner, why not 2 butter holders. 1 in fridge and small one on counter for your toast!
Love that idea! 😀
Hi
Is Kerry gold butter and cheese hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and additive-free ? And what about Anchor ?
Thanks
As far as I know they are both free of hormones, antibiotics, and additives. But if you want to be 100% sure you aren't getting those, it's best to choose a certified organic, grass-fed butter. 🙂
The favorite butter in my house is Plugra. It blows away
Any other we have tried, including Kerry Gold.
Interesting! I tried some when we were in Florida, and I couldn't stand it! Isn't it funny how everyone has different tastes? Does yours have a kind of peppery taste to it? I don't know if I just got a bad bar, but mine had a very distinct flavor.
Suggest you evaluate Humbolt Dairy butter. https://www.humboldtcreamery.com/products/organic-salted-butter/ and https://www.humboldtcreamery.com/products/organic-unsalted-butter/ It's very good, if you can't get raw.
I wish I could get my hands on some! It looks like their website says you can only get it out west. Maybe I could get a grocery store to special order it?
Hi Erica,
Also try: https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/product-categories/organic-butter/
I heard a tip about softening butter...
Put some water in a bowl or cup that is big enough to cover the pat of butter you softened. Heat the water in the microwave. Put the pat of butter you want softened for your toast on a plate and cover it with the hot bowl (discarding the water of course, LOL). By the time the toast is ready your butter will be softened!
Is there a way to find out which of the butters are made from only A2 milk?
I haven't seen any butter that claims to be made from exclusively A2 milk. The Vital Farms butter is made *mostly* from Jersey and Guernsey cows, so at least part of it is made from A2 milk.
Love your comparisons! But your photo comparisons are useless without knowing which butter is on the left and which is on the right. Perhaps you identified each one somewhere and I missed it?
The Kerrygold (which I used as a control) is always on the left! ?
What about Finlandia?
I haven't personally tried Finlandia butter - I'd love to get my hands on some! On their website they state that the majority of the cows' feed is grass, that it's made from non-GMO ingredients, and that the cows are not treated with rBST. Hope that helps!
My favorite butter is the Presidents butter. The best ever.
I normally purchase Kerrygold butter because how delicious their butter is and how most readily available and affordable butter it is for being grassfed. I would also like to try Vital farms I like about them how they use A2 milk for their product which makes that easier on the digestion. Anyways have you tried the vital farms butter and if so do you personally recommend this product?
Yep! I reviewed Vital Farms butter above. ?
I purchase Kerrygold butter because how delicious it is and how most readily available and most affordable it is for grassfed butter. I would also like to try vital farms butter however because I like how they use A2 milk which it is for digestion. So anyways have you tried the vital farms butter and if so do you personally recommend this product?
Finlandia is available in samsclub, not in the dairy coolers but in the open coolers more towards the center of the stpre. I think it tastes sweeter than kerry and its about $1/lb cheaper
I'd love to give it a try! Unfortunately I haven't seen it in our stores, and we don't have Sam's Club. 🙁
Thank you so much for all your efforts! I'm a Kerrygold lover, too. But, because of some health conditions, I'm not supposed to eat anything that even ate a GMO ... and it seems I'm late to know about Kerrygold. Your first testing showed a "taste rating" and your fav was Organic Valley. On this one, you mentioned that your fav was probably Mountain View, but you don't say (nor their site) if they eat any GMO's. Did you ever find out? Between those 2 less favs, which would you choose?
I still can't find anything on their website about wether or not the cows are fed any GMO grain. Their regular butter is actually Non-GMO Project verified. If you want to completely avoid GMOs, the Organic Valley is a better choice since organic butter can't come from cows fed GMOs. Hope that helps!
Have you looked into Danish Creamery? They are in California and claim cows are pasture raised. I can’t find specifics regarding if they supplement with grains or percentage of time cows spend in the pasture. Thanks!
I've never heard of Danish Creamery! I'd love to get my hands on some of these brands and do another review...
I was looking for info on Danish Creamery Butter is how I came across your blog. Just now trying some and noticed while leaving out in our covered butter dish it maintains a firmer constituency then Kerrygold which becomes very soft. I was wondering what makes for this firmer butter. Any extra ingredients or just differences in how it is whipped etc.
I was also looking for the Danish Creamery comparison to Kerrygold. Our local store had it for $5 on Monday. Might give it a try.
@Debbie, Danish Creamery Butter with Sea Salt has superior flavor compared to Kerrigold and other brands. I've only found it at our local Walmart. It's made and distributed by Challenge Dairy in California and it said to be produced from free range cows. It's the only butter I'll use.
Ooooh...wish our Walmart carried that!
I Just tried Danish Creamery and it is disappointing, very pale in color, bland. I am used to kerrygold and vital farms and Danish Creamery just didn't hold up to either.
Good to know!