# It's time to buy butter but I can't remember how much to buy



## jdjones3109 (Oct 28, 2015)

We bought enough for a year at this time last November to take advantage of the Thanksgiving sales (it's 1/2 off the normal price = $1.99) and we only have two 1 lb boxes left in the freezer. However, I can't for the life of me remember how much we bought. Of course, I'm not worried about buying too much but I'd hate to not buy enough for the year either. I figure about 16 boxes will do. In your opinion, how much butter does your family go through in a year?


----------



## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

We go thru about 16 pounds for the 2 of us. More id the wife does Christmas cookies.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Just buy a 55 gallon drum of butter and call it a day.


----------



## jdjones3109 (Oct 28, 2015)

James m said:


> Just buy a 55 gallon drum of butter and call it a day.


Don't tempt me. I already have a 55 gallon drum of Kerosene in the shed.


----------



## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

You can freeze butter? Doesn't it separate? It's just the wife and I and we may go through 2 tubs of Margarin a year. Real butter she uses only during the holidays.


----------



## jdjones3109 (Oct 28, 2015)

Prepared One said:


> You can freeze butter? Doesn't it separate? It's just the wife and I and we may go through 2 tubs of Margarin a year. Real butter she uses only during the holidays.


Butter freezes well. There's no noticeable change in texture or flavor. Like I said in my original post, we buy it once a year on sale and freeze enough to use all year long. It's not a long term prep, but saving money that can then be spent on other things is an important part of prepping. On another note, we stopped using margarine years ago when we saw a Facebook video of someone putting it on the garage floor. Over time, mold never grew on it and insects never touched it. Go to the following link to find out why, but you're not going to like what you read. I didn't and I never touched the stuff again.

https://thatsbad4u.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/margarine-vs-butter-its-a-no-brainer/

And here's the most disturbing fact....

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Advice to the youngsters; Don't get your facts from Facebook! Do your own research.

Margarine is basically a water in vegetable oil emulsion. The additives are generally for taste and a small amount of nutrition.



jdjones3109 said:


> Butter freezes well. There's no noticeable change in texture or flavor. Like I said in my original post, we buy it once a year on sale and freeze enough to use all year long. It's not a long term prep, but saving money that can then be spent on other things is an important part of prepping. On another note, we stopped using margarine years ago when we saw a Facebook video of someone putting it on the garage floor. Over time, mold never grew on it and insects never touched it. Go to the following link to find out why, but you're not going to like what you read. I didn't and I never touched the stuff again.
> 
> https://thatsbad4u.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/margarine-vs-butter-its-a-no-brainer/
> 
> ...


----------



## Grim Reality (Mar 19, 2014)

That information (that margarine will not rot & is not consumed by micro-organisms) is MOST interesting. I would maintain, however, that like so many other things that most of us will be unable to manufacture after a breakdown of society, MARGARINE will most certainly be an item that others will want to barter to obtain. Naturally real butter, like a fresh egg, will be at an even higher premium. 

I believe that there may come a time when a lowly bottle of shampoo would be a boon. Anyone remember "Thunderdome"? After society breaks down, some simple things we take for granted will be highly desireable. And that breakdown is more of a possibility than most of us might imagine. I would consider salting some of it away!

Grim


----------



## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Mmmmm been eating Margarine for as long as I can remember with no ill effects. It certainly isn't as good as butter I know. I much prefer real butter. Then again if I gave up everything that was supposed to be bad for me......well lets just say I ain't gonna. LOL Now I have given up a lot of things in the interest of living longer, blood pressure, and cholesterol but all under control now. I have my treats I allow myself on occasion and weekends. Booze, sex, a good juicy steak, etc. There are certain things I am not willing to give up to live longer. Without some perks what the hell is the point? LOL Butter freezes however, and that is of interest to me for short term storage. Thanks


----------



## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Prepared One said:


> Mmmmm been eating Margarine for as long as I can remember with no ill effects. It certainly isn't as good as butter I know. I much prefer real butter. Then again if I gave up everything that was supposed to be bad for me......well lets just say I ain't gonna. LOL Now I have given up a lot of things in the interest of living longer, blood pressure, and cholesterol but all under control now. I have my treats I allow myself on occasion and weekends. Booze, sex, a good juicy steak, etc. There are certain things I am not willing to give up to live longer. Without some perks what the hell is the point? LOL Butter freezes however, and that is of interest to me for short term storage. Thanks


Booze, sex, a good juicy steak, etc. - Shame on you....you self indulging hapless human being. Do you not care that these things, amongst damn near everything else could possibly kill you?


----------



## jdjones3109 (Oct 28, 2015)

Slippy said:


> Advice to the youngsters; Don't get your facts from Facebook! Do your own research.
> 
> Margarine is basically a water in vegetable oil emulsion. The additives are generally for taste and a small amount of nutrition.


I'm 45, so I'm old enough to know not to use FB or any social media as my only source for information. If you read what I wrote closely, you'll notice that the FB post only started me on the road to learning more about the difference between butter and margarine. It's the process of creating margarine that most people find troublesome:

The Devastating Consequences of Replacing Butter with Margarine in Our Diet

It's pretty awful that margarine is really grey in color and has to be dyed to make it resemble the food that you should just eat in the first place, butter.


----------



## jdjones3109 (Oct 28, 2015)

Slippy said:


> Advice to the youngsters; Don't get your facts from Facebook! Do your own research.
> 
> Margarine is basically a water in vegetable oil emulsion. The additives are generally for taste and a small amount of nutrition.


I'm 45, so I'm old enough to know not to use FB or any social media as my only source for information. If you read what I wrote closely, you'll notice that the FB post only started me on the road to learning more about the difference between butter and margarine. It's the process of creating margarine that most people find troublesome:

The Devastating Consequences of Replacing Butter with Margarine in Our Diet

It's pretty awful that margarine is really grey in color and has to be dyed to make it resemble the food that you should just eat in the first place, butter.


----------



## Gimble (Aug 14, 2015)

Two things strike me about this thread:

1. Prepared One: It sounds to me like you don't want to give up margarine because its one of life's pleasures? Did I hear you right?

2. jdjones3109: I always find it hard to believe that something can go through all that processing and come out cheaper than the way nature does it. Real butter requires (real) milk and agitation, maybe some salt. I've made it myself. If you have enough land, you get your own cow, make milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, beef, etc. The cow does most of the work.

Along those same lines, have you ever made mustard? It couldn't be more easy to replicate the yellow mustard. Makes you wonder why we just buy it at the store.


----------



## jdjones3109 (Oct 28, 2015)

Gimble said:


> 2. jdjones3109: I always find it hard to believe that something can go through all that processing and come out cheaper than the way nature does it. Real butter requires (real) milk and agitation, maybe some salt. I've made it myself. If you have enough land, you get your own cow, make milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, beef, etc. The cow does most of the work.
> 
> Along those same lines, have you ever made mustard? It couldn't be more easy to replicate the yellow mustard. Makes you wonder why we just buy it at the store.


I thought about what you said and it reminded me of an article that I read not too long ago about the amount of water used in agriculture and animal farming. It takes something like 1,800 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of beef for sale. Along those lines, I suppose real butter is more expensive to produce than margarine when you factor in the cost of water, feed, veterinary care, man hours, etc. In comparison, the process for manufacturing margarine sounds like something that can be totally or almost completely automated and thus cheaper.

BTW... I don't like mustard. I periodically think about making my own ketchup, but I simply love the taste of Heinz ketchup and it's pretty inexpensive when you buy it on sale. I recently did just that and it was 3 bottles for $4 at Shoprite.


----------



## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

paraquack said:


> We go thru about 16 pounds for the 2 of us. More id the wife does Christmas cookies.


Christmas cookies, my Tucson land needs a visit, I like them with sprinkles....

*Rancher*


----------



## darsk20 (Jun 1, 2015)

I prefer Ghee (clarified unsalted butter) for most cooking applications other than baking. We don't go through much butter since we don't bake much.


----------



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

"Booze, sex, a good juicy steak..." If it's my time to go, I can't think of three better companions to check out with.


----------



## whoppo (Nov 9, 2012)

We have cases of Red Feather canned butter.... very good stuff and it keeps for years without refrigeration.


----------



## jdjones3109 (Oct 28, 2015)

whoppo said:


> We have cases of Red Feather canned butter.... very good stuff and it keeps for years without refrigeration.


Amazon.com: $55 for six 12 oz. cans = $.76/oz.
Shoprite (butter quarters): $2 for 16 oz. = $.13/oz.

It looks tasty, but it's a little too costly for me.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

See how much you use in the next week and multiply by 52 and add a few weeks in.


----------

