On 26-Feb-2005, "L, not -L" > wrote:

> On 26-Feb-2005, "carbuff" > wrote:
>
> > I've been wondering about unsalted butter for a long time, because so
> > often
> > in a recipe that calls for it, one of the other ingredients is salt!
> > (What
> > prompted this was Dimitri's recipe for Tapenade Butter in the Gourmet
> > Dinner/Help thread, which, among the ingredients included: unsalted
> > butter,
> > anchovies <cough> VERY salty, and then salt & pepper to taste)
>
> Most dishes, especially in baking, call for unsalted butter because there
> is
> no standard for how much salt is in salted butter. The amount of salt in
> a
> pound of butter is determined by the maker and can vary substantially from
> brand to brand. By using unsalted butter, then adding salt, you take
> control.
>
> It is vitally important in yeast raised baked goods because yeast is
> killed
> by too much salt.

At the grocery store today, I was reminded of this thread while in the dairy
aisle. I decided to satisfy my curiosity about the range of sodium content
among different brands; I found the range to be from 85mg to 115 mg, The
highest, oddly enough, was in a brand labelled "organic", a label that could
make people think it a healthier product.