Butter might be in short supply ahead of Thanksgiving. You can make it yourself for cheap

The Sacramento Bee ^ | November 12, 2022 | BY JACQUELINE PINEDO

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Everything just tastes better with butter.

With the holidays around the corner, the star cooking ingredient is seeing low inventory across markets due to labor shortages at production companies, according to a November report from the United States Department of Agriculture.

“Cream is becoming more available in most of the West, though contacts in some parts of the region say volumes remain tight,” states the U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Wednesday.

California’s milk production is mostly steady, though estimated forecasting on milk production for the year is not being met, according to a November Daily Market, USDA report. Inflation has already brought groceries in the state to high levels, making prices tough for consumers with the holidays ahead.

WHY IS BUTTER SO EXPENSIVE?

At the start of the year milk production was down, creating 1.4% decrease, according to a USDA January report. The slower production was a result of expensive costs of feed and labor shortages throughout milk manufacturers.

HOW MUCH HAS IT INCREASED?

There has been price increases across all foods. Specifically for dairy, there has been a 15.3% increase.

The lack of butter on the shelves has resulted in steep price increases. The national average for a butter stick, salted, grade AA, is at $3.12 as of Nov. 5, though still pricey, it is down from about $4.72 in early September, according the the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[cranked]

Stocked up three days ago.

[NautiNurse]

Butter has a good shelf life.

Refrigerated—a month after the sell-by date
Freezer—12 months for salted
Freezer—6 months for unsalted
Room temp—1-2 days

[skeeter]

Next from the Sacramento Bee ‘ten ways to use the nightly contents of your chamber pots’.

Thanks alot Greenies.

[Grampa Dave]

Typical B$ story from Sacramento fake news.

Raley’s/Nob Hill is a California grocery chain based in the Sacramento area, and most of their butters were on sale yesterday, and I bought some.

Even better prices this week with a paper or electronic sale.

We had a good friend who was a private baker, and her motto was Butter is Butter and buy it on sale and freeze it.

[Redcitizen]

I bought the cow and cut out the middleman. Cheaper that way. 😆

[9YearLurker]

Lasts at room temp much longer than that.

[9YearLurker]

A “stick” of butter is just a quarter pound. Definitely not averaging over $3.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks to NautiNurse for this reality:

Butter has a good shelf life.

Refrigerated—a month after the sell-by date
Freezer—12 months for salted
Freezer—6 months for unsalted
Room temp—1-2 days

3 posted on 11/12/2022, 7:25:47 AM by NautiNurse

[Notthereyet]

In Europe Butter is usually sold as a pound bar.

[9YearLurker]

That’s not a “stick”, however.

[William Tell]

”Butter might be in short supply ahead of Thanksgiving.”

You would think that voters in the U.S. would feel some shame to see such a headline. Soon Americans may well be standing in lines waiting for somebody to make bread just as the Soviets did just before the crash of the USSR.

[joma89]

I just bought butter on sale. Guess I should have bought more.

[Manuel OKelley]

We keep out butter out and probably only clean the dish every month or so, never a problem

I’ve pulled butter out of deep freeze that was buried at the bottom and >5 years old with zero issues or degradation

Then again, I’ve eaten meat that was over ten years old —if it’s wrapped/sealed properly and remains frozen it seems it should be good almost indefinitely

[j.havenfarm]

I agree with the commenters but on occasion I’ve made my own and guests have been impressed. 2 cups cream, 1/4 tsp salt. I make mine using a hand mixer instead of a food processor. Couldn’t be simpler: Make whipped cream, but once it hits the whipped cream stage, keep goin. In another couple minutes it breaks down into the curds and whey.
Form the butter into the shape you want with your hands, squeezing out the whey. And you’re done. Little kids also enjoy doing this

[mabarker1]

Still cheaper than a 1/4# of Weed...

So I’m told😎

[x]

You can make it yourself for cheap

I'd suppose that the price of cows is going up too, so there goes that bright idea.

[mabarker1]

And neither Us or the sac bee are in Europe.

[9YearLurker]

You’ve got it, Ma!

[NautiNurse]

We keep out butter out and probably only clean the dish every month or so, never a problem

Ummm, ok.