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?
What about Strauss butter?
From the website it looks like it's good quality: organic + grass-fed. I haven't personally tried it - another one to put on my list! 🙂
Erica - It was so fun to find this site. I didn't know there were so many other butter lovers around! We have a Trader Joe's, a Whole Foods, and a WalMart near us, and I plan to try out
new butters! Thank you for all the reviews. You certainly respond kindly to grumpy folks.
That's awesome that you have such a variety of stores close to you! Hope you enjoy some new butters. 🙂
Kill them with kindness, eh? 😉
Erica, thank you for a wonderful site, I have been looking for the right butter for a while now. I just want something, completely natural, from a real cow, not messed about with, maybe even "moos" when I take the wrapper off.
I am sticking with Kerrygold for the time being.
Many thanks for your information, and greetings from England.
I like that - "moos" when you take the wrapper off. 😉 Kerrygold is delicious!
Have you heard of Elle & Vire? Can you give some review about it?
I haven't heard of that - I'll go check it out!
Erica, Just found your blog after learning that Kerrygold is not 100% grass-fed. However, Kerrygold (unsalted) has been my choice only for melted butter and baking use. My main butter is Organic Pastures Raw Cultured butter (unsalted). Their cows are 100% grass fed, it's certified organic and humane. The flavor is heads above any other butter (so is the price: $14 a pound, but it's so worth it). OP also makes a non-cultured raw butter that's lightly salted. I prefer the cultured one. After reading The Plant Paradox, I inquired with OP as to the A1/A2 status of their cows. Their reply was that their herd was 99% A2. I suggest you get a pound of this butter and compare it to your favorite brands.
Best,
Randall Michael Tobin
Artisan Baker/Chef
Random Acts of Breadness
https://breadness.com
I haven't seen the Organic Pastures Raw butter - raw milk isn't legal to sell in stores in my state, unfortunately. That's amazing that 99% of their herd is A2! I would really love to taste their butter. I've had their raw cheese, and it's great!
I see... What state are you in?
Minnesota!
I just read your old review and then this one. Erica do you have a new favorite or is it still KerryGold? I'm just starting to learn the benefits of organic butter.
Hey John,
Kerrygold is still my personal favorite. The flavor is fantastic, it's readily available, and the price point is lower than quite a few other grass-fed butters. If nutrition is your only concern, I would opt for the Organic Valley Pasture Butter.
Straus by leaps and bounds.
Hello Erica. I found my name having forgotten having commented a while back, on one of the two butter challenges - this article may not be the one. Returned to your site via search engine's help remembering it thankfully.... having circled back to butter because it will help me in my evolving 'perfection of various routines and habit patterns. I want to move to the mainland and want my health to be back in full force;; being in a tropical setting, Hawai'i, is not all positive by any means but that's an unrelated subject.
I am glad you pursue and keep up with this interest and will investigate your store. Today, I found Kerry Unsalted for $4.13 at Walmart in Honolulu. That's my preferred brand because OV has salt in it.
Anyway best to you and your enterprise here. That address is not one I use. I don't want any messages; I've bookmarked the site happily.
That's a brilliant idea to find a blog post that you've commented on by Googling your name! That's awesome that you were able to source Kerrygold in Honolulu. I wish you all the best! ❤
Hi. Have you tried Lewis Road Creamery Butter? It appears to be grass-fed all year round and non-GMO. Any thoughts?
Hi Susana,
I hadn't heard of that brand before! It looks really good - the website says that the cows are fed greater than 96% grass forage. I'd like to get my hands on some of their butter, but shipping is $$.
Try Finlandia.
It’s (somewhat obviously) from Finland.
rBST free
*Majority grass fed
Non-GMO
I still prefer Kerrygold myself, but I wanted to share this option with you.
Spring Hill European Style Salted Grass-Fed Jersey Butter. It's our local butter. More yellow than Kerrygold and actually tastier! I think it has a creamier flavor. The salty variety is about as salty as Kerrygold. $3.49 on sale at our local market. $5.99 online. The salty variety is pictured at the lower right. https://www.springhillcheese.com/shop/cheese-bundle-for-pizza-party
I'm famous in my family for my love of butter. But my 4 year old granddaughter and I discuss which of us loves it more!
I am not a fan of soft butter. When it's from the frig, you inevitably need to use more, but that's the beauty of it!
Erica - why do you have a preference for Jersey and Guernsey type cows?
I used Kerry Gold until I discovered the GMO content.
My compromise butter, based partly on what is available (Chicago area) is Finlandia. It's delicious, majority grass-fed, and non-GMO. And more affordable than some others. Comes in paper wrapped cubes which I toss in the freezer and take out for baking. Also comes in half pound foil wrapped, The heavy foil keeps it fresh for a long time in frig. Less than $4.
Would love to try Strauss, but at $7 for a half pound + shipping - not gonna happen.
The ideal combo doesn't seem to exist: grass fed + non-GMO + organic + plus available locally + reasonable price!!!
This was a fun thread for a butter lover - thanks Erica!
That's so great that you and your granddaughter discuss butter! YES cold butter is the best, except for toast!
Butter from Jersey and Guernsey cows can be easier for some people to digest.
I wish I could get ahold of some Finlandia butter! Haven't seen it in stores here. 🙁
Yes, it's really difficult to find the absolute perfect grass fed butter!
So happy you enjoyed the read! 🙂
I love butter, I currently have 4 types of butter and 3 types of ghee I use. My favorite is Lewis Road Creamery from New Zealand. It's a nice rich dark yellow color. According to the owner, it's the top selling premium butter in New Zealand. Those cows look like they've got it made on the huge dark green grass fields where they live year round. I get it at Bristol Farms in Socal, they have a lot of good types of butter you don't see at most places.
Opinions on Truly Grassfed Butter (Ireland) brand?
Vital Farms is the best that you have reviewed so far. As far as the cornucopia.org score and ethics. However, you left out the two best by far for authentic grass fed and not using homogenization or high heat pasteurization. Kalona is by far the number one gold standard best. Second is Mill King. High heat pasteurization and homogenization is horrible for milk products!
And Organic Valley has horrible reviews because when grass fed is not available they use conventional cow products. It’s a complete fraud!
Kalona products are from authentic Mennonite Farms, completely raw & nutrient rich!
Whole Foods & Sprouts carry both brands.
I love Vital Farms so much that I purchased stock when it went public. But if either Kalona or Mill King go public, I’m all over that!
You really do need to check for authenticity & bad reports on farm ethics before posting a review.
Kerry Gold & Truly Grass Fed imported butters are disgusting compared to Kalona, Mill-King & Vital Farms.
I get raw butter, milk & cheese from a small local farm when I can & by far Kalona products are the closest to that farm. I have volunteered working at my local farm to see exactly how well they do. Since they bring in hat from the feed store, and do not rotate the pastures as much as truly pastured farms do, they are not near as good as Kalona. But Kalona products sell out fast here, so the local farm is second best.
I now cut a couple of tablespoons off the stick right through the wrapper, directly from the fridge. If cut it "right" I end up with enough paper to place it over most of the open end and return it to the fridge. I then unwrap the cut piece and place it in the butter dish that I leave out. I regularly run the dish under hot water after a few uses.
This works well for me. I usually only have 2-4 TBs in the dish at a time for toast or dinner. Once I got used to it it was just part of my regular routine.
Great idea! We go through so much butter in our house that we'd have to take out more at once, though. Haha!
Loved the butter review. I use to buy Greenfields Pure Irish Butter. It was delicious. But I can no longer find it anywhere. Does anyone know where I can buy Greenfields Pure Irish Butter?