anyone still use Margarine? occasionally?

[pksystems]

Margarine over butter any day of the week. It tastes so much better.... Better for you too.

[recycled sixtie]

I would add that everything should be in moderation. I very seldom eat butter or margarine but when I do it is just a thin layer. My dietician wife would agree. For cooking I use mostly olive oil.

[Tobra]

For some baked goods, it does not turn out right if you use butter. Sugar cookies, or the recipe I have for them anyway, do not turn out well with butter.

[john70t]

Butter has a lot of water which evaporates easy when baking.
The remaining butter fats burn easy at low temp when frying.

So use butter as a compliment flavor at the end of cooking.
Don't use as a primary fry grease.

Flour and watery mass ingredients such as vegetables requires time to absorb flavors and changes the entire process and cooking schedule.
Oil<=>Water<=>Carb mass absorption.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Tobra

For some baked goods, it does not turn out right if you use butter. Sugar cookies, or the recipe I have for them anyway, do not turn out well with butter.

Yes. Those need lard to cook properly.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by vash

i read a recipe that called for margarine..(it was for mexican street corn - elotes)

whoa.. i dont think i have ever bought the stuff as an adult. (ate it as a kid i'm sure)

i'm 99% sure that real buffalo wings call for the stuff.

is there just one tub sitting at the grocery store? people still buying it?

A chef gave me his recipe for Wing Sauce:

Whirl mixed with Franks sauce.

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/butter-alternative-1-gal/113830.ip

[red-beard]

My wife uses a "butter substitute" for bread and the like.

[javadog]

I haven't even seen margarine since I was a kid. I use butter, typically a European style butter.

I use olive and avocado oils, primarily, for cooking.

If you are cooking something Mexican, consider using lard, because that's the fat of choice for many things Mexican.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

I try to avoid processed foods when I can, all things in moderation is the key.

Yeah, I have to think that margarine is not good for you. And I think the whole "butter is bad for you and processed vegetable oil (that's probably often hydrogenated) is good for you is also crap. Studies have been done and shown that the fat that you eat has very, very little to do with your cholesterol levels. The vast majority of the cholesterol in your body is made by your liver (or kidneys? Or something like that).

Originally Posted by john70t

Butter and even fake virgin olive oil 'burns' easy at unattended medium stove temperatures.

Burning = Changing 'good' fats to 'bad'.
(when singeing, just burn a very small amount for flavor please)

The teflon pan itself is probably more bad than the butter.

That's interesting that the type of olive oil makes a difference.

Originally Posted by john70t

Butter has a lot of water which evaporates easy when baking.
The remaining butter fats burn easy at low temp when frying.

So use butter as a compliment flavor at the end of cooking.
Don't use as a primary fry grease.

The really interesting thing is that you can buy unsalted butter, melt it in a pot over medium heat and wait for the water to evaporate and the milk solids to precipitate and brown. Then filter out the solids and you're left with Ghee which has a very high smoke point and is great for frying. It's the milk solids that burn.



https://jonbarron.org/diet-and-nutrition/healthiest-cooking-oil-chart-smoke-points
Below is just an excerpt of the list at the link above.

Unrefined Safflower oil 225°F

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 320°F

Semi-refined Safflower oil 320°F

Butter 350°F

Vegetable Shortening 360°F

Lard 370°F

Canola Oil 400°F

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (low acidity) 405°F

Extra light olive oil (more refined) 468°F

Ghee (Clarified Butter) 485°F

Refined Safflower oil 510°F

Avocado Oil 520°F

[Superman]

If you want a really killer pie crust, you need to use my method/recipe and Crisco. Same with chocolate chip cookies and other cookies and baked goodies. No butter. No butter flavored Crisco. White Crisco. Shortening, that is. More precisely, hydrogenated vegetable shortening. For your application, the shortening may be an important ingredient. My ex mother-in-law used lard. Often. For tortillas and such. These details are important.....in baking.

In cooking and eating however, no. I use butter.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

I can't believe it's not butter.

Same ad' here too.


Butter butters better was the other one.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by pksystems

Margarine over butter any day of the week. It tastes so much better.... Better for you too.

Regardless of health parameters...margerine has taste?!??

Youwhotm8te?
Do you have functioning taste buds?
Margerine vs Real butter or Whizzo butter / a dead crab?



Im very confused by that statement. Do they add seasoning to margerine in the us or something?

Or is real butter banned ?


Seriously if your margerine has more taste then real butter, you ain't got real butter.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by john70t

Butter has a lot of water which evaporates easy when baking.
The remaining butter fats burn easy at low temp when frying.

So use butter as a compliment flavor at the end of cooking.
Don't use as a primary fry grease.

Flour and watery mass ingredients such as vegetables requires time to absorb flavors and changes the entire process and cooking schedule.
Oil<=>Water<=>Carb mass absorption.

don't use normal butter but "clarified butter" for cooking.
I would not even think of using regular butter to cook with.. without first clarifying it.

Basically melt it, let it sit, and then the water and whey solids seperate from the butter fat.
That clarified butter will be much better to cooking use, not burn as fast.
and not go rancid at room temps.
That's how it's done in the pro kitchens..

Nobody should cook in a pan with normal butter, that's just wrong.

[Tobra]

When I worked in restaurants, they used a LOT of clarified butter. If you let it sit out in a big container in the back of the kitchen, where it was about 120*, and the solids would float to the top.

Trick for pie crust is to keep the Crisco in the fridge, use ice water and handle it as little as possible.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by Tobra

When I worked in restaurants, they used a LOT of clarified butter. If you let it sit out in a big container in the back of the kitchen, where it was about 120*, and the solids would float to the top.

Then it wasn't fully clarified butter yet, there should be no solids that can drift on clarified butter.

This is clarified butter cold


This is the same clarified butter warm



No water, no solids, just pure butter fat

[svandamme]

clarified butter is not as tasty as regular butter... it's just for cooking..

[dan79brooklyn]

Margarine?! Hell no, never in my house. Unsalted butter or olive oil. Canola oil, sesame oil, coconut oil.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by masraum

Yeah, I have to think that margarine is not good for you. And I think the whole "butter is bad for you and processed vegetable oil (that's probably often hydrogenated) is good for you is also crap. Studies have been done and shown that the fat that you eat has very, very little to do with your cholesterol levels. The vast majority of the cholesterol in your body is made by your liver (or kidneys? Or something like that).

You need fat in your diet, it helps with so many body functions including brain function. Just choosing healthy fats is the key. No one is going to convince me a ensemble of chemicals are better for you than something natural.

We eat really clean in our house, all our protein is locally sourced non gmo no antibiotics. Same goes for our produce, eggs etc.... We hit our local Green Market every Sunday and spend a decent amount there on our food for the week. Actually about the same as going out 2 nights a week for dinner.

We do not drink soda and I am somewhat of a hypocrite because I do drink Beer and Whiskey which sometimes draws protest from the wife if I am hitting either too hard.

I am no expert, I follow the lead of my wife. She is the one doing all the reading and researching.

Originally Posted by svandamme

clarified butter is not as tasty as regular butter... it's just for cooking..

We keep Ghee on hand for cooking.

For others not familiar with clarified butter which is a version of Ghee, you can read up on it here.

https://www.culinarynutrition.com/how-to-make-ghee-at-home/

[vash]

I even bailed on booze recently.

[ckelly78z]

Switched a few years back, only real butter, local fresh meat, whole milk, coconut oil for cooking, pink sea salt, and handcracked peppercorns. Leave that processed crap for others on a strict budget.

My wife was having food alergy problems that seem to be cured now.