I'm baking all the time and just bought both butters from Costco last Friday. The Kirkland has 11g butter fat KerryGold 14g. I like the Kirkland butter for ghee because I can get it salt free. The KerryGold makes the best icing for cakes. Both butter are great for baking so I go for the less expensive Kirkland since I can't taste the difference. I wish the USA would have higher food standards like New Zealand and outlaw high fructose corn syrup. Hopefully someday soon🤞
@@AwareHouseChef If only the US would actually incentivize grass fed farming and make it cheaper because not only is it healthier, it's better for the environment than any vegetable agriculture out there
The reason that their only 95% grass fed is that grass goes dormant for a while and they have to feed them with hay or other crops. As soon as the grass grows back they can start to feed on the grass again.
@@AwareHouseChef They do not need grain. Cows that produce milk on purely grass fed are just that. In winter they will get some mineral supplements, but other than that they get a mixture of different grasses or fermented grass that was made in summer for the winter feed.
"Grass fed" butter is often not a winter product. A wet pasture has problems with trampling, and the grass loses attraction to cattle as it becomes muddied. So dairies often shift between pasturing and feeding on hay and mash seasonally. The color of the butter can also shift seasonally with deeper golds associated with more Vitamin A content when the cattle are pastured rather than stall fed.
As a kid, I was used to salted butter. When we moved to India, my mom used to make yogurt from freshly delivered milk and then churn it to create butter and buttermilk. I grew to love the taste of the freshly churned butter, which has no additives INCLUDING SALT.
Thanks for commenting that New Zealand has some of the highest food standards in the world. No hormone treatments in our chickens, sheep or cattle. No GMO feed and proper animal welfare.
I hope to visit some day. My suspicion is that the quality of your products also happens to be an indication of the culture. Thank you for your reaching out. Cheers!
@@AwareHouseChef they added cream recently, cream is defined as not nessesarily fully literal cream by usda. taste a bit more like the other standard butter kirkland and others sell, that is mostly just so called cream, where its harder to spread and tastes weird, less tasty. could be mono/di glycerdies and other garbage like that
@@AwareHouseChefunfortunately their packaging contains forever chemicals. I believe they only plan on changing the foil packaging in areas that require.
We lived in Ireland for 6 years , so I was thrilled when we started carrying KerryGold here in America ! It’s our favorite and especially because it’s delicious unsalted . Our Costco only has Kirkland in salted
Coming from France he took me sometimes to find good milk product in the US... I used the kerryGold butter that i enjoy for years ...since Whole food stated carrying "Isigny Beurre De Baratte Butter is one of the best butter with unsalted Finlandia Butter from Finland try those you wont regret ..
I work for Costco so thank you for the information. Members ask me all the time about our products. I have tried both of these butters but couldn't tell the difference as I wasn't sampling them at the same time as you have. I know Costco gets many of their products from New Zealand including all their lamb which is always 100% Halal.
@@smedleybutler1969proceeds from halal certification supports nefarious activities and terrorism. Follow the money, Qatar? Who is the largest supporter of terrorism in the world.
The butter wars intrigue me. I grew up in Ireland so Kerrygold was one of a glut of butters from local creamerys whch all tasted the same (just like regular butter). I remember during the 80's the controversial "Butter Mountains" that were stockpiled due to EU intervetion (agricultural subsidizing) and here in Ireland people on welfare were given "Butter Vouchers" instead of (or in addition to) money. People were poor generally in Ireland in the 80's so they were used in stores to buy groceries and were as good as cash to most. With so many years overproducing it and just trying to get rid of the butter, it's surreal still seeing Kerrygold nowdays flying the flag of something that used to represent times of sever economic repression. (we also had a foreign exchange student who came back for a second time, I think just for the butter)
Having spent quite a bit of time in Ireland in the early 2000s I would have to say that the quality almost oh Irish ingredient surpasses anything I find here in the United States. I miss your eggs I miss your pork I miss your butter basically I miss it all. It’s a standard I use when trying to buy things here. The Irish should be proud of their products. I personally by Carrie gold when I can forward it if I am just going to be doing some slag baking I’ll buy regular butter doing Muffins
I just had the Kirkland grass fed butter and I love it! I'm never going back to regular butter and I can't believe I would eat fake butter like Country Crock.
Absolutely agree. Tried both head to head. The NZ butter did not stand out taste-wise much better than regular Costco butter. We use regular for baking and Kerrygold for spreading. Kerrygold is one of the world's worthwhile luxuries!
I've noticed that salted butters melt faster at room temp than unsalted butter so that may be why the Kerrygold was easier to spread than the Kirkland.
@@AwareHouseChef I have both butters in my house now. I Bought Kerrygold today. It's back on the store shelves, the sticks have a paper wrap. When kept at room temp, Kerrygold is softer and the Kirkland is much harder to spread.
Kerrygold is the butter standard for the world. I've had a few "craft butters" that I would say were better but unable to consistently source them. I worked for the parent company (Irish Dairy Board) in the US for 10 years and it was relatively easy to convert chefs from their butter to the Kerrygold.
I’ve traveled extensively in the British Isles, Ireland, and Oceania, and I can categorically attest that the best dairy products I’ve ever had were in Ireland and New Zealand. Sadly, here in the USA the quality of dairy is sketchy so I am forced to source from local farmers which only adds cost and logistical challenges, and this is especially true when it comes to fresh eggs. Maybe we’ll catch up to Ireland and New Zealand some day.
Its quite ironic because back in the day(historically) Irish butter couldn't compete with Danish butter, it was packaged badly, handled badly for export,sometimes rancid, I wonder do we get offered the Kerrygold that hangs around because it can't *flood* the *free market* ?
@@AwareHouseChef Lurpak, I used to eat that all the time until my kids found Kerrygold and they think they like it better. Also, the french President, very good butter.
I used to work in a small local dairy in the UK and I know I am biased but they make a butter that can match any butter from anywhere. Big claim I know but it's true. Longley farm butter from Holmfirth in Yorkshire, England. It's made from milk from grass fed Jersey cows. It's a golden yellow, intense flavoured butter. I love it.
As an Irishman while we have the utmost seriousness about beef and dairy I can attest that wonderful northern England and her friendly folk do well to match us, if but a single stride behind.🍺😉
So far our Costco near me does not sell the Grassfed Kirkland Butter yet....They were completely out of the KerryGold Butter last week. I noticed the regular Kirkland Butter is too watery when we bake with it so we stopped buying it. Thanks so much for sharing this information AwareHouseChef :)
Excellent video! I'm in Germany and eat butter by itself for extra fat. I'm surprised at how different they can taste. Kerrygold is very nice. Regarding the wrapper, I move the entire block into a glass container. Glad I found your video! Thank you! 🇩🇪
@@TMAN0603 You might want to move that butter into a glass or ceramic container though. I don't like the idea of plastic leaching into my food, so I transfer most things to glass. It comes out the tub easily too. 👍
I'll have to find it but, I saw Kerrygold was taken to court over the "grass-fed" claim. They didn't get in trouble because they never said it was any percentage grass fed however, turned out it was about 50% grass fed.
I use Kerry gold unsalted. If you want grass fed year-round, you have to buy a few extras in the summer and freeze them for the winter. I’m thinking about making ghee, but I really hate to waste the Kerygold since I have to drive 60 miles round-trip to get it. It has really gone up in price at Walmart in the last year.
Thank you for acknowledging that neither are made from organic milk. I think many people think they are organic bc they are grass-fed, organic is held to a higher standard. Both look delicious though!
Regular butter triggers psoriasis outbreaks on me, but I was able to use KerryGold. Something changed with KerryGold about a year ago and that butter started triggering psoriasis outbreaks! Now I use the Kirkland Brand Grass Fed butter with no issues!
Oh, my goodness. I am so glad I found this channel. That part with you praying for the sponsor was soooo funny. Never seen anything like it. Wish I had thought of that. hahaha
I make my own butter and buy a half gallon of 40% heavy cream from my restaurant supply store and whisk the heck out of it in my stand mixer until,,,,well until it's butter! Believe it or not you don't save all that much money but it's fresh and good! Oh, and it's nice having heavy cream around for soups and espresso so it serves many purposes beyond the freshest butter you'll ever have.
I was psyched to see a 24 pl of pasture raised organic eggs at Costco for the coat of 12 at my local supermarket! They are really upping their healthy options
I have both brands in my freezer right now. I love the Kerry Gold for straight eating. It has a slightly tangy flavor that comes from the culturing process they do. I don't know if the Kirkland butter uses any cultures and I don't taste it in the butter. I use the Kirkland butter in my coffee so I appreciate that it has less salt for that purpose. And I make bone broth lattes with butter, heavy cream and homemade bone broth. Delish. In any case each brand has it's own strengths and weaknesses. If you like cultured European style butter pick KG. If you want a milder flavor and less salt for other applications pick Kirkland brand. They are both good.
Thanks for making this video brief, Most videos are WAY too long, TikTok is a success because there’s not 30 minutes of dialogue. This is a great model for others. Thanks
You've done a great comparison, i've always used Kerrygold but recently with Kerrygold's wrapper around the butter I've been peeling off like 2 millimeters of butter that touches the wrapper and pop it in a Pyrex dish due to the wrapper recently been found to have high levels of PFA's or those "forever chemicals" which may be fat soluble. Kirkland though I've never tried it the wrapper looks similiar. In two states Kerrygold is changing the wrapper which is a good start. Is milk solids in the world of butter more or less a "filler"? I do wonder which has more healthy butyrate.
I used to spend a lot of time in New Zealand and always brought butter home with me (export packaged). I love the stuff. Your test is spot on. I use both now for different things.
I basically did the same thing you did! I was looking for flavor differences and could not tell the difference until I put them both on bread! The Kerry was smoother, and I believe a tad more flavorful. Next, I tried them both with Land O Lakes Butter! And both were much more creamier and more flavorful. Land O Lakes was harder and, to me, best used for baking, not on bread. And, I grew up on Land O Lakes, but not worth the price at six dollars a pound.
I live in New York and I get raw milk from a local farm and it’s 100% grass fed Jersey cows. It’s the best milk ever. It’s like 30% fat. So nourishing for children and tastes incredible. And I’ve made butter out of it and in the spring it’s so yellow, much deeper yellow than even Kerrygold. The milk is only $6 per gallon and almost 30% fat so I’m thinking about buying a giant butter churn and making my own raw milk butter, 15 pounds at a time and freezing it. It’ll probably require 30 gallons of milk, and I’ll give all the leftover buttermilk to a local farm to feed to their pigs.
I love them both but the unsalted Kerrygold is cultured and way outshines the salted one. So far, I can only get salted Kirkland butter, so I buy both and use them for different things. Thanks for the info on milk solids -- very helpful.
It's impossible at the moment to get Kerrigold because the packaging has been found to use the "forever" chemicals PFAS. It would be interesting if you could question them regarding this serious problem. Cheers Rosemary Perth Western Australia 72yrs
VERY GOOD VIDEO CHEF!!! Great content whole heartedly worth watching and I have been considering joining Costco! Now that you have showed me this information about their butter, it is the deciding factor and I'm going to pull the trigger and get the membership! You see, I recently started making Ghee and I want the healthiest butter I can get and at a dollar less per pound than the Kerrygold, that's all I needed to hear! DEAR COSTCO, PLEASE SPONSOR THIS CHEF'S VIDEOS, HIS CONTENT BROUGHT ME TO YOU!
Thank you ! I appreciate your kindness. Please, before you join, make sure they carry it. Something has happened with the packaging and all grass fed butters are kind of gone off the market
Check to see if the Costco you're considering joining carries it (if butter is the reason you're joining!) - it appears that my store in St Louis, MO, does not carry this butter (they do carry Kerrygold).
If you have cows unless you are in a climate like Hawaii, you would have to supplement dry hays and things during winter months. And thats not a bad thing necessarily.
Even in New Zealand hay is feed during winter. Hawaii is real bad at dairy. Most of their dairy products are air freighted daily from Los Angeles. I past a couple of dairy farms and thought if that was New Zealand the farmer would be charged with animal cruelty and the animals put down. Must have produced low fat milk cause there was no fat on those cows.
There is Kriemhild Dairy in Upstate NY that offers grass fed butter, as well as Maple Hill (NY). It appears only Maple Hill butter may be found in local markets. Organic Valley (started in Mid-west but works with farms nationwide)says their butter is from pasture raised cows (??). The butter fat from these is 11-12%, so less than Kerry Gold, but I may look into trying tem.
The most delicious butter is made in Normandy, France and is called Isigny Ste Mère Beurre De Baratte aux cristaux de sel de guerande (with grey sea salt) It's a wonderful cultured butter and once you have it with warm crusty french rolls, you will never go back to the irish brand.
Love my Kerry Gold...it's the Gold standard when it comes to butter however I love my lamb from NZ. Also, I've recently been enjoying cold pressed EVOO from Italy with a mix of herbs instead of butter on my bread. It's nice to switch things up.
I would think there is grass fed butter here in the U.S. I am going to check out the Mennonite store near my sis's place in PA. They sell raw milk, but don't know if they make butter as well or if their cows are grass fed.
Interesting comparison and insight into what makes butter taste the way it does. Trying to eat more organic grass-fed, free-range stuff but as you mentioned there are prices to consider....
Thanks for the heads up! If you have it in your area, I recommend President brand from France. It's a cultured butter so the taste is best, for me, as a spread. As a cooking butter it's up to the individuals taste. Not sure of the pro-biotic benefits. For me it's just yummy on toast, fresh warm bread or used in a pan sauce.
Im from England but my favourite butters are Président and Lurpak . Both superior to Kerrygold in my opinion. Haven’t seen either available where I live in Hungary, but it’s easy to find Kerrygold
I picked this up real quick I got so excited! I love the packaging too. As far as comparison, you are spot on. The Costco brand is harder to spread. Taking it out a few mins early fixes that. As far as taste, it’s less salty therefore my tastebuds are missing that. I have to cut back on salt so it’s ok. Overall I think the Costco brand tastes great! If you really want a flavorful butter check out the butter from France at Whole Foods. Knocks these two out of the water imo. Worth every overpriced cent. Thanks for the great video!
Excellent video as always George! I was amazed that both Kerry Gold and Costco responded quickly and honestly about the grass fed branding and wondered what the FDA feed requirement is to be able to put “Grass Fed” on the label?
Thanks Rick! It’s an honest thing. There are times where you are forced to feed cattle some thing other than grass especially when there is none available in the winter. As long as they’re honest that’s all that matters. But there are some farmers that do feed their cattle grass all year. I will keep an eye out for them. All the best!
@@AwareHouseChef Walnut Range Farms, in Alma, Nebraska, uses grass year round. They plant a variety of nutritious grasses for their cattle. Best to buy butter in Spring and Summer, if you aren't sure, and pick up a winter supply in fall, before the winter snows. Kirkland's box reads: "Churned with fresh cream from cows with a 95% grass-fed diet, complemented with locally grown grains for nutritional balance. Our dairy farm herds graze on the pastures of New Zealand year-round." So they add the 5% grain deliberately and possibly not just in their winter, which should be opposite ours. It is distributed from Issaquah, WA and also says: "Product of New Zealand". Does this mean it is churned in New Zealand? I have now found a place in PA, where I can get raw butter.
@@AwareHouseChef Hay is "available" year-round. And misleading customers with their "story" and "grassfed" on the label is not "honest". Don't make excuses for them, just because you like the taste.
My family has been using Kerrygold for years. I saw the grass-fed Kirkland butter last week at Costco and bought it. I think I actually did taste a difference just on toast and I think I may prefer it. You can't go wrong with either though.
I love Kerrygold its my goto for butter that's not being cooked (i.e. baking and incorporating in a recipe). Best flavor I've found is Kerry. I'll give Kirklands a try when I can. Might be my new cooking butter.
Great review, super helpful! I'm also a Kerrygold addict and I buy exclusively from Costco, I noticed the new grassfed butter but I put off buying it. I usually use the Kerrygold only for buttering bread and cook with other oils so I think for now I'll stick with it, but maybe for holiday baking I'll go for the kirkland brand! Thanks for the info!
Kerrygold also is available in an unsalted version. Not sure about Costco as I haven't been there in awhile. I usually leave a stick of butter out at all times so it's easier to spread. Lots of recipes call for unsalted butter for some reason, even when they add salt later.
I usually use cultured butter anyway, for the robust flavor. But sweet cream butter has its uses, when you want something more subtle and are able to actually taste what the cow fed on.
If Kerrygold is back on the shelves, the PFAS in the wrapper has been fixed. KG on freshly baked bread with jam is just the best. I use a brand of jam and jellies from France because it tastes wonderful and has only two ingredients: fruit and sugar . First time I’ve seen your channel. Great job!
I found Kerry gold on Publix a couple days ago from buy-1-get-1-free. I wonder if Publix is selling those that have heavy metals just to make a quick buck.
@Lets Go Brandon i just now checked the usa gov site and it is a federal law, not just a particular state. The class action was filed in new york . “Questions and answers on PFAS in Food” us food & drug administration is my source. (Rather than “law” i should probably say a voluntary recall. Suit was based on false advertising that only contains blah blah whereas PFAS should have been included in list of ingredients . Although it is or was in the wrapper, i guess PFAS can migrate to food .
I switched to the Costco grass fed butter and I love it! I use it for cooking! I love the price 4 bars for $10. I use it on my sour dough bread and I put some butter on it and it melts while bread is hot.
Many, many thanks and welcome. I appreciate your kindness. Let me know how I can be at your service. Feel free to make video recommendations. All the best!
A difference between Irish and English butter is how it is made , Irish butter traditionally made after the milk has soured (claddered ) In England butter is made from sweet milk/cream. I don't know if New Zealand butter made from fresh cream or not. One of the main things you notice with grass fed butter is the rich yellow colour . Danish butter is nearly white.
Meanwhile I live in Canada and have the anemic white n impossible to spread butter 😅 Cream also has a lower fat content than elsewhere. It gets a bit annoying adjusting for recipes especially with dessert recipes.
@@AwareHouseChef I think we actually do have fairly decent beef products. We have access to import beef and meat produced in Alberta is actually quite good. Growth hormones are restricted in Canada for cows in dairy production. That’s a decent trade off for many of us buying dairy domestically as opposed to across the border. Canada’s quite well known for being particularly protective of its dairy industry. Growing up. I often visited Japan and I think any dairy outside of theirs isn’t enough to make me feel actually disappointed in what I have.
@@skinnydee1886 No. I just said that we have policy restrictions for dairy products. I live close enough to the border to just head to the US and buy Irish butter at Costco. At certain grocers (Safeway/ThriftyFoods/Certain family/organic markets) you can buy “European style” butter which is a bit better but it’s still only just okay.
ONLY KerryGold (on sale at Costco this week) no substitute BUT having stated that The Brittany cultured butter ($10.00 for 8oz) reminds me of my grandmother's hand-churned butter which I treat myself to once a month ;-). LOVE YOUR VIDEOS and Thank You.
Yes my late mother (101 years 2019) would make butter with American milk it was nothing to my Gran's as the milk came from her own Fresian cows OH MY GOD memories of watching her.
I just Googled Brittany Cultured butter bc I was curious & it turns out Trader Joe's has one that's about half the price & Bon Appetit says is just as good. Might be worth checking out.
Kerrygold butter is currently unavailable in California. My Stater Brothers manager told me that new packaging laws enacted beginning January 1, 2023 forbids the foil wrapper used by Kerrygold for their butter and it will "take a while" before they can repackage it. I don't know if other U.S. States are affected as well. It's been almost 2 1/2 months since it's been off our shelves...
As a long time Kerry Gold Butter consumer and lover, I was alarmed at how much I was spending on butter. For the first time I saw the Kirkland and noticed it was 2/3 of the price of Kerry Gold, so I bought the Kirkland brand. I just tried it and found it every bit as good as the KG. It was also very creamy and rich. So my vote is to switch to the Kirkland brand!!
I used to buy butter that comes in 4 sticks because I love the convenience of it. And I was 3 weeks ago old when I accidentally tried a new brand of butter, from Costco, which was not in my favourite format of 4 sticks per pound of butter. I was BLOWN AWAY by the taste, no exaggeration. Now, the brand of butter Costco carriess here in Canada is Beatrice (which I have bought many times from other stores and never thought anything special of), and I am not a fan of the flimsy packaging of their Costco butter, but THAT TASTE is absolutely superb! (I am only talking of unsalted butter here, I never buy the salted stuff). The Costco Beatrice butter is delicious enough to be eaten plain, by itself, with nothing else added, instead of dessert. Excellent for anyone doing keto and intermittent fasting, or anyone who may crave a late-night snack but wants to avoid the inevitable insulin spike.
As a rural Irishman they did answer your question in the mostly affirmative. Hay and silage are both grass in preservable forms. The equivalent of beef jerky or (lacto-)pickled beef. Given that kerrigold buy from hundreds of operations they can’t blanket say one way or another but for those here who grow grass fed beef and dairy the ideal is to mow one’s own hay and portion it out into silage both on principle and the economics of it. Mother Danu having her cycles and issues one does occasionally need emergency feed after a drought or increasingly hot summers however, and one can’t rule out some farmers skirting the rules of course. I would imagine it is much the same in upside down Ireland or anywhere else really.
Low salt is not healthier unless you have hypertension, plenty of research that shows this. Your body knows how much it wants/needs, add salt to taste.
Oh, thank you so much for this comparison. I switched from Kerrygold to the Kirkland, and am not happy with how hard it is. And exactly as you said, Kerry gold is SO tasty just on bread. I'm switching back to Kerry gold, I just enjoy it more🥰
George, You better do your research. I also have been using Kerigold for years but no longer.They have been misleading their customers. If the label does not say 100% Grass Fed then grass fed doesn’t mean a hill of beans. Kerigold feeds its cows mainly gmo corn and soy and perhaps a bit of grass. Who knows what the grass is laden with. I’m opting for 100% grass fed organic butter from now on.
@@AwareHouseChef From Ireland..and its hilarious to hear these peaky bitchy comments about butter. And no they don't feed soy to cows in Ireland...god I love the internet. you're all nuts but I still love ye! Peace
So neither butter is 100% grass fed and thus 100% gluten free. What about pesticides, glyphosates? And what exactly is fermented grass (from the e-mail response)? Also, both butters come in plastic wrap, so I’m concerned about bpa. How about paper wraps?
I have never understood the appeal of Kerrygold. But then again I was raised in France eating French butter. The best in the world, especially the unpasteurised variety.
I have been using Kerrygold for years. It’s my favorite butter. I usually get it at Sam’s Club. I switched to the Kirkland from Costco because of the price. Kerrygold is still my favorite, but the Kirkland is good enough.
Try your experiments with a person who does not eat salt! You like a 25% higher salted butter because you eat salt! See what happens to your sense of taste when you cut out all salt for a few months. If you go back to eating salted foods you will realise food tastes fresher & better without salt. Without salt you can actually taste the food properly. Salt is an unhealthy addiction just like sugar folks. You need small amounts for potassium, and the amounts you actually require are naturally in most organic foods at source/naturally.
We love the Kirkland grass fed butter! Have been using it since it came out. Previously we bought Kerrygold, but appreciate the cheaper price of the Costco brand and feel the taste difference is minimal. Thanks for your comparison. Costco has many very good Kirkland products that save us money.
Thank you for sharing this about butter. I've recently switched to Kerigold and will not go back. The first time I spread it on a slice of home made fresh from the oven hard crunchy crusted soft and chewy bread I was transplanted back to my Grammy's kitchen table. Sitting up straight in the chair with a plate of home made baked beans, those red skinned hot dogs that the skin popped when you cut them with your fork.sliced tomato with salt and pepper and cukes in vinegar with salt and pepper and a huge glass of well water. When food was made with food and that as the only ingredients. and one of the best on the planet pies of any kind...man I miss my Grammy!!! The butter TASTED like it used to 50 years ago. I feel when you use better quality products that you may use less because your not chasing the unattainable quality of flavor that a lower quality product can not produce. cheers....
Thank you! I don’t buy Kerrygold salted butter as it is too salty, I buy the unsalted. But after watching your video I’ll be trying the Kirkland brand. Not only because it has less salt but also because it has fewer milk solids. Again, thank you for this very informative video!!
How does KGF achieve a lower MILK FAT per serving compared to KG, yet KG still has more MILK solids? What makes KGF 2g less fat by serving, unless they add water?
I love the Kerrygold, but good luck finding it. Here in NY all sold out at supermarket, Whole Foods. I found a store in NYC that had some, but when I looked at the price over 8 dollars for one. I’m having to buy Plugra for now. Now some idiot has brought a class action law suite against Kerrygold.
🙂I was a fan of Kerrigold; but once looking at VitaFarms butter it labeled 90% grassfed hmm so I did some digging and found Kerrigold is 80% grassfed. In my search New Zeland butter came up; and now seeing your video it labels 95% grassfed. For me I am what I eat so $1 per pound saving also adding my own salt to taste will not be an issue. Things like corn oats wheat, etc: well the cover has been pulled - I am aware of the deceptions in these; so since the Kirkland dairy is developed the most with what cows are supposed to eat, I will have to start buying Kirkland butter, maybe even get a Costco membership. Your video was a heaven send as I was just debating over this issue today 12 29 2024; I believe I have my answer. 🤗
I lived in Scotland for 6 years and bought Kerry Gold butter all the time. Now that I’m in California again I have just gotten other butters. But didn’t know Costco had grass fed butter. Thank you for the info.
Thank you for your analysis. When I cook or bake, I use unsalted butter and add salt as desired. This option is better because it allows me to more precisely develop the desired flavor profile. Knowing this, I will more likely use the Kirkland butter for cooking and the Kerrygold butter for other uses; post-cooked foods.
Kerrygold is delicious. My family started buying it recently and I’ve been eating bread and butter way more often now. Didn’t realize it was grass fed, but that is a plus
Funny we have been buying Kerrygold off and on for a couple years. Then my wife came home with the Kirkland NZ butter. Like you i did the cracker test, and also noticed that the Kirkland butter, when kept at room temp, turns a rich yellow color. So far we are really enjoying the NZ butter and now that i know about their standards, we will most likely keep buying it as long as it is available. BTW been to NZ a few times. Really nice place!
Ok I’m in love with the Kirkland butter! I’ve been using for a year now, your points are all perfect. I bought Kerry gold the other day again and it is softer and easier to spread, but I’m hooked on the Kirkland New Zealand butter I like the lower salt content and I feel it taste more buttery! We don’t do a lot of salt in my home
I love the new Kirkland butter. Got some last time I went shopping there and have been using it in all the normal ways I use butter, and I not only have no problems with adding a little salt to help the flavor, but I add pink mineral salt (commonly called Himalayan salt) instead of normal salt which makes it taste even better than a butter that is more salted to start with. I used to sometimes use Kerrygold butters but more often just got cheaper stick butter brands because I didn't notice a lot of difference, but this New Zealand butter I'll definitely be making my primary butter now. I actually prefer the shape of the blocks over normal stick butter because the longer thinner slices melt quicker and are easier to put on top of foods without having to spread it out as much or cut it into more pieces.
The chemical PFAS was recently banned in the United States. It was found in the iconic Kerrygold gold and silver foil packaging, causing the product to be pulled from stores. Did they change their packaging yet?
I lived in the UK and always sought out Kerrygold whose taste is in my opinion unmatched. Now we live in Ireland we find a large selection of grass fed local Irish butter and some are better than Kerrygold and are off the scale indulgent. I see local farmers take the cows in in deep winter and feed them silage but some parts of Ireland like West Cork have milder winters and the cows are out on pasture much longer and the local butter there is different....so so good!
Before finding your video, I did this same challenge between the 2 brands. I wanted Costco’s brand to win, since I love butter, and it’s cheaper 😁 But, I totally agree, Kerrygold is the clear winner on taste. Gonna have to keep buying it 😎
I'm baking all the time and just bought both butters from Costco last Friday. The Kirkland has 11g butter fat KerryGold 14g. I like the Kirkland butter for ghee because I can get it salt free. The KerryGold makes the best icing for cakes. Both butter are great for baking so I go for the less expensive Kirkland since I can't taste the difference.
I wish the USA would have higher food standards like New Zealand and outlaw high fructose corn syrup. Hopefully someday soon🤞
It kind of depends on us. After all they will only sell what we agree to buy. Thank you for sharing the baking info! Cheers!
@@AwareHouseChef If only the US would actually incentivize grass fed farming and make it cheaper because not only is it healthier, it's better for the environment than any vegetable agriculture out there
Higher the butter fat the better
Kerry Gold comes in salt free and many stores carry it. Not in the multipacks that Costco does but still. . .
Costco food is garbage and is extremely inferior to other brands. Costco is such low end bottom shelf that even walmart is better than Costco
The reason that their only 95% grass fed is that grass goes dormant for a while and they have to feed them with hay or other crops. As soon as the grass grows back they can start to feed on the grass again.
Can they just feed them hay or is that not a possibility in the winter ? Somebody told me that cows have to have some sort of grain in their diet
@@AwareHouseChef They do not need grain. Cows that produce milk on purely grass fed are just that. In winter they will get some mineral supplements, but other than that they get a mixture of different grasses or fermented grass that was made in summer for the winter feed.
I believe hay is considered grass since it's dried grass. Any grains are the other 5%
"Grass fed" butter is often not a winter product. A wet pasture has problems with trampling, and the grass loses attraction to cattle as it becomes muddied. So dairies often shift between pasturing and feeding on hay and mash seasonally. The color of the butter can also shift seasonally with deeper golds associated with more Vitamin A content when the cattle are pastured rather than stall fed.
I think that’s fine. No? The issue is with engineered feed like GMO corn
😮
I was just thinking our Kirkland butter was looking a bit “pale” lately. Maybe it’s because of the season. Interesting.
Hay and silage still count as grass-fed.
If it's not grain or proteins, then it's grass. Hay is dried grass
I started buying Kerrygold for my elderly mother. She couldn't taste the generic house-brand butter. She loves it!
It's so good!
As a kid, I was used to salted butter. When we moved to India, my mom used to make yogurt from freshly delivered milk and then churn it to create butter and buttermilk. I grew to love the taste of the freshly churned butter, which has no additives INCLUDING SALT.
Aldi has their own brand of Irish grass fed butter, and its very good.
I recently came across that butter!!
So delicious, I wish they had an unsalted one.
Thanks for commenting that New Zealand has some of the highest food standards in the world. No hormone treatments in our chickens, sheep or cattle. No GMO feed and proper animal welfare.
I hope to visit some day. My suspicion is that the quality of your products also happens to be an indication of the culture. Thank you for your reaching out. Cheers!
@@AwareHouseChef they added cream recently, cream is defined as not nessesarily fully literal cream by usda. taste a bit more like the other standard butter kirkland and others sell, that is mostly just so called cream, where its harder to spread and tastes weird, less tasty. could be mono/di glycerdies and other garbage like that
@@AwareHouseChefunfortunately their packaging contains forever chemicals. I believe they only plan on changing the foil packaging in areas that require.
You're there, is it true that the Chinese have invested heavily into the NZ dairy industry?
@@andhewonders They tried but they made their companies bankrupt and ran off home same with what they tried to do when they bought a water concession.
We lived in Ireland for 6 years , so I was thrilled when we started carrying KerryGold here in America ! It’s our favorite and especially because it’s delicious unsalted . Our Costco only has Kirkland in salted
It seems like many grass fed butters are using the same packaging, because mine no longer has either. All the best!
I, too, am partial to the taste of KerryGold unsalted over their salted butter. The flavor of a quality sweet butter is hard to match.
My local Costco only seems to have the salted Kirkland, too. By chance did you stock up when KerryGold was on sale (pre-covid)?
Coming from France he took me sometimes to find good milk product in the US... I used the kerryGold butter that i enjoy for years ...since Whole food stated carrying
"Isigny Beurre De Baratte Butter is one of the best butter with unsalted Finlandia Butter from Finland try those you wont regret ..
I don’t eat a lot of butter, but when I do it’s always Kerrygold. When I find something I like I don’t look to change it. Thanks, nice video.
Thanks for sharing!!
I used to eat Kerrygold, but tried Costco and it was pretty much the same because I only use it for cooking. I price is much cheaper
I work for Costco so thank you for the information. Members ask me all the time about our products. I have tried both of these butters but couldn't tell the difference as I wasn't sampling them at the same time as you have. I know Costco gets many of their products from New Zealand including all their lamb which is always 100% Halal.
My retirement job one day (hopes soon) thanks for sharing!
@@AwareHouseChef Costco treats their employees VERY well!
Sorry but I don't eat Halal,sad because I used to love new Zealand Lamb!
@@smedleybutler1969proceeds from halal certification supports nefarious activities and terrorism. Follow the money, Qatar? Who is the largest supporter of terrorism in the world.
@@smedleybutler1969 Why don't you eat halal? Anything wrong with it?
The butter wars intrigue me. I grew up in Ireland so Kerrygold was one of a glut of butters from local creamerys whch all tasted the same (just like regular butter). I remember during the 80's the controversial "Butter Mountains" that were stockpiled due to EU intervetion (agricultural subsidizing) and here in Ireland people on welfare were given "Butter Vouchers" instead of (or in addition to) money. People were poor generally in Ireland in the 80's so they were used in stores to buy groceries and were as good as cash to most. With so many years overproducing it and just trying to get rid of the butter, it's surreal still seeing Kerrygold nowdays flying the flag of something that used to represent times of sever economic repression. (we also had a foreign exchange student who came back for a second time, I think just for the butter)
Ah yes, the Butter Mountain and the Wine Lake and the Milk Ocean.
Having spent quite a bit of time in Ireland in the early 2000s I would have to say that the quality almost oh Irish ingredient surpasses anything I find here in the United States. I miss your eggs I miss your pork I miss your butter basically I miss it all. It’s a standard I use when trying to buy things here. The Irish should be proud of their products. I personally by Carrie gold when I can forward it if I am just going to be doing some slag baking I’ll buy regular butter doing Muffins
The beef is outstanding as well! 👍🏻😁
The fact that governments around the world force farmers to waste food so they can set the prices is out right criminal.
@@myboibill What is slag baking? You've go me curious.
I just had the Kirkland grass fed butter and I love it! I'm never going back to regular butter and I can't believe I would eat fake butter like Country Crock.
Glad you did!! Thanks for sharing! All the best
Absolutely agree. Tried both head to head. The NZ butter did not stand out taste-wise much better than regular Costco butter. We use regular for baking and Kerrygold for spreading. Kerrygold is one of the world's worthwhile luxuries!
I've noticed that salted butters melt faster at room temp than unsalted butter so that may be why the Kerrygold was easier to spread than the Kirkland.
Could be. I think you’re right
@@AwareHouseChef I have both butters in my house now. I Bought Kerrygold today. It's back on the store shelves, the sticks have a paper wrap. When kept at room temp, Kerrygold is softer and the Kirkland is much harder to spread.
We buy unsalted Kerry gold and it’s wonderful as well to spread on bread.
I hope they resolve their packaging issues soon. Can’t get it now for a while
Kerrygold is the butter standard for the world. I've had a few "craft butters" that I would say were better but unable to consistently source them. I worked for the parent company (Irish Dairy Board) in the US for 10 years and it was relatively easy to convert chefs from their butter to the Kerrygold.
Good ingredients are a no brainer. Cheers
I’ve traveled extensively in the British Isles, Ireland, and Oceania, and I can categorically attest that the best dairy products I’ve ever had were in Ireland and New Zealand. Sadly, here in the USA the quality of dairy is sketchy so I am forced to source from local farmers which only adds cost and logistical challenges, and this is especially true when it comes to fresh eggs. Maybe we’ll catch up to Ireland and New Zealand some day.
Only if consumers care more. The only way to make a difference is by not using the crap products
Its quite ironic because back in the day(historically) Irish butter couldn't compete with Danish butter, it was packaged badly, handled badly for export,sometimes rancid, I wonder do we get offered the Kerrygold that hangs around because it can't *flood* the *free market* ?
@@seanbowerman1822 if danish butter is that good I want some!
@@AwareHouseChef Lurpak, I used to eat that all the time until my kids found Kerrygold and they think they like it better. Also, the french President, very good butter.
@@arad67 thank you!
I used to work in a small local dairy in the UK and I know I am biased but they make a butter that can match any butter from anywhere. Big claim I know but it's true. Longley farm butter from Holmfirth in Yorkshire, England. It's made from milk from grass fed Jersey cows. It's a golden yellow, intense flavoured butter. I love it.
I am envious. Nothing like butter from a farm. Thanks for sharing
I buy Longley Farms cottage cheese, it’s better than any other I’ve tried over the years.
As an Irishman while we have the utmost seriousness about beef and dairy I can attest that wonderful northern England and her friendly folk do well to match us, if but a single stride behind.🍺😉
Thank you. I'm a retired chef here in San Diego. I love kerrygold the best, but I also use Costco butter. Kerrygold is number one.
Glad we agree! Cheers!
So far our Costco near me does not sell the Grassfed Kirkland Butter yet....They were completely out of the KerryGold Butter last week. I noticed the regular Kirkland Butter is too watery when we bake with it so we stopped buying it. Thanks so much for sharing this information AwareHouseChef :)
My pleasure. I think there is a packaging issue that is being addressed for both brands. Hope it’s fixed soon! All the best!
KerryGold is recalling all it's butter due to packaging/chemical issues.
@@josephsf2452 Make sense, our Vons and Sprouts were out as well, thanks Josephsf2 :)
@@josephsf2452 PFAS in the wrappers
Excellent video!
I'm in Germany and eat butter by itself for extra fat. I'm surprised at how different they can taste. Kerrygold is very nice. Regarding the wrapper, I move the entire block into a glass container.
Glad I found your video! Thank you! 🇩🇪
Thank you for reaching out and for your kindness! I also appreciate the tip! All the best
I too, put mine into a glass container, after cutting it into tablespoons portions.
@@laudiculbertson5586 And I thought I had a lot of time on my hands! I just cut off a chunk. The more butter the better!
The Kerrygold l buy in the US is sold in small plastic tubs. I leave it out in the kitchen so that it’s always easy to spread and it’s great!
@@TMAN0603 You might want to move that butter into a glass or ceramic container though. I don't like the idea of plastic leaching into my food, so I transfer most things to glass. It comes out the tub easily too. 👍
I'll have to find it but, I saw Kerrygold was taken to court over the "grass-fed" claim. They didn't get in trouble because they never said it was any percentage grass fed however, turned out it was about 50% grass fed.
I would like to see that.
All cows in Ireland live on grass. It's that green stuff that grows everywhere and thanks to the soft rain there's no shortage of it.
@@feargach2107 unfortunately, here, in the United States, they would rather have their cows stand in one place, and feed them engineered corn…
No, yeah that's bogus. Grass fed means fresh pasture and dry hay.
I use Kerry gold unsalted.
If you want grass fed year-round, you have to buy a few extras in the summer and freeze them for the winter.
I’m thinking about making ghee, but I really hate to waste the Kerygold since I have to drive 60 miles round-trip to get it. It has really gone up in price at Walmart in the last year.
Kerry gold unsalted has added skimmed milk to the ingredients. wasnt there prior!
@@manesecrets really?
I see that now, the unsalted does contain skim milk. I’m going to start using the salted or find another brand.
Thank you for acknowledging that neither are made from organic milk. I think many people think they are organic bc they are grass-fed, organic is held to a higher standard. Both look delicious though!
My pleasure and thank you for reaching out!
Regular butter triggers psoriasis outbreaks on me, but I was able to use KerryGold. Something changed with KerryGold about a year ago and that butter started triggering psoriasis outbreaks! Now I use the Kirkland Brand Grass Fed butter with no issues!
Take cad lover oil if u got a skin deàses
Oh, my goodness. I am so glad I found this channel. That part with you praying for the sponsor was soooo funny. Never seen anything like it. Wish I had thought of that. hahaha
Thanks! Glad you’re here! All the best!
I make my own butter and buy a half gallon of 40% heavy cream from my restaurant supply store and whisk the heck out of it in my stand mixer until,,,,well until it's butter! Believe it or not you don't save all that much money but it's fresh and good! Oh, and it's nice having heavy cream around for soups and espresso so it serves many purposes beyond the freshest butter you'll ever have.
I try to do the same, except my local farmer doesn’t always have cream. All the best!
I was psyched to see a 24 pl of pasture raised organic eggs at Costco for the coat of 12 at my local supermarket! They are really upping their healthy options
I have been serving them in my restaurant for years. Cheers
I have both brands in my freezer right now. I love the Kerry Gold for straight eating. It has a slightly tangy flavor that comes from the culturing process they do. I don't know if the Kirkland butter uses any cultures and I don't taste it in the butter. I use the Kirkland butter in my coffee so I appreciate that it has less salt for that purpose. And I make bone broth lattes with butter, heavy cream and homemade bone broth. Delish. In any case each brand has it's own strengths and weaknesses. If you like cultured European style butter pick KG. If you want a milder flavor and less salt for other applications pick Kirkland brand. They are both good.
Great analysis! Cheers!
Dang, you are crazy amazing to do this testing, appreciate your time with showing us this
It was my pleasure and thank you!!
Thanks for making this video brief, Most videos are WAY too long, TikTok is a success because there’s not 30 minutes of dialogue. This is a great model for others. Thanks
@@honey8784 I appreciate you a lot. Many thanks!
You've done a great comparison, i've always used Kerrygold but recently with Kerrygold's wrapper around the butter I've been peeling off like 2 millimeters of butter that touches the wrapper and pop it in a Pyrex dish due to the wrapper recently been found to have high levels of PFA's or those "forever chemicals" which may be fat soluble. Kirkland though I've never tried it the wrapper looks similiar. In two states Kerrygold is changing the wrapper which is a good start. Is milk solids in the world of butter more or less a "filler"? I do wonder which has more healthy butyrate.
Cheers you saved me a job leaving a comment about the wrapping 👍🙏
I use the sticks for this reason instead of the block
ua-cam.com/video/RmaqGrmA6gs/v-deo.html
This is deep analyzing.. thanks for sharing
yup. They currently reworking their wrapping.
I used to spend a lot of time in New Zealand and always brought butter home with me (export packaged). I love the stuff. Your test is spot on. I use both now for different things.
@@lillievalentine8800 thank you!
I basically did the same thing you did! I was looking for flavor differences and could not tell the difference until I put them both on bread! The Kerry was smoother, and I believe a tad more flavorful. Next, I tried them both with Land O Lakes Butter! And both were much more creamier and more flavorful. Land O Lakes was harder and, to me, best used for baking, not on bread. And, I grew up on Land O Lakes, but not worth the price at six dollars a pound.
Thank you for sharing!
I live in New York and I get raw milk from a local farm and it’s 100% grass fed Jersey cows. It’s the best milk ever. It’s like 30% fat. So nourishing for children and tastes incredible. And I’ve made butter out of it and in the spring it’s so yellow, much deeper yellow than even Kerrygold.
The milk is only $6 per gallon and almost 30% fat so I’m thinking about buying a giant butter churn and making my own raw milk butter, 15 pounds at a time and freezing it. It’ll probably require 30 gallons of milk, and I’ll give all the leftover buttermilk to a local farm to feed to their pigs.
That’s very cheap. I pay $18 . You can make butter in a blender a lb at a time and it is fast. Thank you for sharing!
I love them both but the unsalted Kerrygold is cultured and way outshines the salted one. So far, I can only get salted Kirkland butter, so I buy both and use them for different things. Thanks for the info on milk solids -- very helpful.
My pleasure and thanks for sharing!!
Have used KG in the past - it is a very good butter. My new choice is 100% Organic - looking for a heather option
I was thinking of picking up the Kirkland brand grass-fed butter, and I think I will now for cooking/baking. Thank you for the thorough review!
My pleasure Kentigerna. Let me know what you think of it. Cheers!
It's impossible at the moment to get Kerrigold because the packaging has been found to use the "forever" chemicals PFAS. It would be interesting if you could question them regarding this serious problem. Cheers Rosemary Perth Western Australia 72yrs
I think they are on top of it (at least I hope so) thank you for reaching out!
VERY GOOD VIDEO CHEF!!! Great content whole heartedly worth watching and I have been considering joining Costco! Now that you have showed me this information about their butter, it is the deciding factor and I'm going to pull the trigger and get the membership! You see, I recently started making Ghee and I want the healthiest butter I can get and at a dollar less per pound than the Kerrygold, that's all I needed to hear! DEAR COSTCO, PLEASE SPONSOR THIS CHEF'S VIDEOS, HIS CONTENT BROUGHT ME TO YOU!
Thank you ! I appreciate your kindness. Please, before you join, make sure they carry it. Something has happened with the packaging and all grass fed butters are kind of gone off the market
@@AwareHouseChef Got it, thx for the heads up😉
Check to see if the Costco you're considering joining carries it (if butter is the reason you're joining!) - it appears that my store in St Louis, MO, does not carry this butter (they do carry Kerrygold).
Thank you for doing this comparison. My butter of choice is KerryGold!
Good choice! You are so welcome!
If you have cows unless you are in a climate like Hawaii, you would have to supplement dry hays and things during winter months. And thats not a bad thing necessarily.
Even in New Zealand hay is feed during winter. Hawaii is real bad at dairy. Most of their dairy products are air freighted daily from Los Angeles. I past a couple of dairy farms and thought if that was New Zealand the farmer would be charged with animal cruelty and the animals put down. Must have produced low fat milk cause there was no fat on those cows.
There is Kriemhild Dairy in Upstate NY that offers grass fed butter, as well as Maple Hill (NY). It appears only Maple Hill butter may be found in local markets. Organic Valley (started in Mid-west but works with farms nationwide)says their butter is from pasture raised cows (??). The butter fat from these is 11-12%, so less than Kerry Gold, but I may look into trying tem.
The most delicious butter is made in Normandy, France and is called Isigny Ste Mère Beurre De Baratte aux cristaux de sel de guerande (with grey sea salt) It's a wonderful cultured butter and once you have it with warm crusty french rolls, you will never go back to the irish brand.
Is it available in the USA? Would love to try it. Thanks
@@AwareHouseChef Yes, I know Spec's in Houston carries it and maybe Central Market and maybe Whole Foods.
Costco had a recall on the New Zealand butter and pulled all products off the shelves! May be back in a number of months!!!
I know it’s horrible.
Love my Kerry Gold...it's the Gold standard when it comes to butter however I love my lamb from NZ. Also, I've recently been enjoying cold pressed EVOO from Italy with a mix of herbs instead of butter on my bread. It's nice to switch things up.
Sounds great! Love dipping into olive oil!
I would think there is grass fed butter here in the U.S. I am going to check out the Mennonite store near my sis's place in PA. They sell raw milk, but don't know if they make butter as well or if their cows are grass fed.
If you can get the cream. You can make butter in seconds. Cheers ua-cam.com/video/a3PbzsqAEt4/v-deo.html
Interesting comparison and insight into what makes butter taste the way it does. Trying to eat more organic grass-fed, free-range stuff but as you mentioned there are prices to consider....
Glad to be of assistance! Cheers
I absolutely love the Kerry Gold butter for it's rich creamy satisfying flavor! I've been using it now for about 4-5years.
So good! But then I discovered this butter… ua-cam.com/video/gpRgFFdwZqk/v-deo.htmlsi=DNnJmB5VP95BsvqK really delicious!
Thanks for the heads up! If you have it in your area, I recommend President brand from France. It's a cultured butter so the taste is best, for me, as a spread. As a cooking butter it's up to the individuals taste. Not sure of the pro-biotic benefits. For me it's just yummy on toast, fresh warm bread or used in a pan sauce.
I like their Brie. I imagine it’s the same brand. Thank you and all the best!!
@@AwareHouseChef It is the same brand and you are welcome.
President butter is nasty
@@BJJandBS it is very good for making puff pastry, I think it has a higher fat content but don’t quote me on it!
Was just reading last night; butter in in list of foods that are prebiotic. Don't know about the probiotics. Or is that what the culture is for?
Im from England but my favourite butters are Président and Lurpak . Both superior to Kerrygold in my opinion. Haven’t seen either available where I live in Hungary, but it’s easy to find Kerrygold
I will see if Lurpak is available in the US. Thanks!
@@AwareHouseChef I would be interested to know if you find and if so your opinion. Greetings from Hungary.
@@AwareHouseChef I've seen Lurpak in upmarket stores in Houston.
I picked this up real quick I got so excited! I love the packaging too. As far as comparison, you are spot on. The Costco brand is harder to spread. Taking it out a few mins early fixes that. As far as taste, it’s less salty therefore my tastebuds are missing that. I have to cut back on salt so it’s ok. Overall I think the Costco brand tastes great! If you really want a flavorful butter check out the butter from France at Whole Foods. Knocks these two out of the water imo. Worth every overpriced cent. Thanks for the great video!
Wow! Great recommendation! I love a good butter. Thank you for reaching out! All the best.
Whats the name of the butter from France you recommend?
@@tristac.848 I’m so sorry I don’t recall the name at the moment.
@@ladystarfall1539 thanks. Ill just have to check Whole Foods sometime.
@@tristac.848 yes there are great butters from other places around the world as well. Good luck 🍀
Great information about New Zealand standards and Kirkland brand having less sodium.
Thank you!
Excellent video as always George! I was amazed that both Kerry Gold and Costco responded quickly and honestly about the grass fed branding and wondered what the FDA feed requirement is to be able to put “Grass Fed” on the label?
Thanks Rick! It’s an honest thing. There are times where you are forced to feed cattle some thing other than grass especially when there is none available in the winter. As long as they’re honest that’s all that matters. But there are some farmers that do feed their cattle grass all year. I will keep an eye out for them. All the best!
@@AwareHouseChef Walnut Range Farms, in Alma, Nebraska, uses grass year round. They plant a variety of nutritious grasses for their cattle. Best to buy butter in Spring and Summer, if you aren't sure, and pick up a winter supply in fall, before the winter snows. Kirkland's box reads: "Churned with fresh cream from cows with a 95% grass-fed diet, complemented with locally grown grains for nutritional balance. Our dairy farm herds graze on the pastures of New Zealand year-round." So they add the 5% grain deliberately and possibly not just in their winter, which should be opposite ours. It is distributed from Issaquah, WA and also says: "Product of New Zealand". Does this mean it is churned in New Zealand? I have now found a place in PA, where I can get raw butter.
@@AwareHouseChef Hay is "available" year-round. And misleading customers with their "story" and "grassfed" on the label is not "honest". Don't make excuses for them, just because you like the taste.
My family has been using Kerrygold for years. I saw the grass-fed Kirkland butter last week at Costco and bought it. I think I actually did taste a difference just on toast and I think I may prefer it. You can't go wrong with either though.
Thanks for sharing!!
I love Kerrygold too! But I’ve already moved on to an Organic grass fed low-Vat processed butter and it’s great and spreads nicely like Kerrygold.
Please share the brand and thank you for commenting!
I love Kerrygold its my goto for butter that's not being cooked (i.e. baking and incorporating in a recipe). Best flavor I've found is Kerry. I'll give Kirklands a try when I can. Might be my new cooking butter.
Hope you like it!
Great review, super helpful! I'm also a Kerrygold addict and I buy exclusively from Costco, I noticed the new grassfed butter but I put off buying it. I usually use the Kerrygold only for buttering bread and cook with other oils so I think for now I'll stick with it, but maybe for holiday baking I'll go for the kirkland brand! Thanks for the info!
My pleasure! Thank you for the kindness and for sharing. Let me know how you like it!
I try to keep Kerygold for only what goes directly in my mouth.
Kerry Gold is now about $5 more than the gf Kirkland at my Costco.
Kerrygold also is available in an unsalted version. Not sure about Costco as I haven't been there in awhile. I usually leave a stick of butter out at all times so it's easier to spread. Lots of recipes call for unsalted butter for some reason, even when they add salt later.
I usually use cultured butter anyway, for the robust flavor. But sweet cream butter has its uses, when you want something more subtle and are able to actually taste what the cow fed on.
If Kerrygold is back on the shelves, the PFAS in the wrapper has been fixed. KG on freshly baked bread with jam is just the best. I use a brand of jam and jellies from France because it tastes wonderful and has only two ingredients: fruit and sugar .
First time I’ve seen your channel. Great job!
Thank you Linda! I hope I see some delicious Kerrygold wrapped in a crappy label soon!
I found Kerry gold on Publix a couple days ago from buy-1-get-1-free. I wonder if Publix is selling those that have heavy metals just to make a quick buck.
@Lets Go Brandon i just now checked the usa gov site and it is a federal law, not just a particular state. The class action was filed in new york . “Questions and answers on PFAS in Food” us food & drug administration is my source. (Rather than “law” i should probably say a voluntary recall. Suit was based on false advertising that only contains blah blah whereas PFAS should have been included in list of ingredients . Although it is or was in the wrapper, i guess PFAS can migrate to food .
I switched to the Costco grass fed butter and I love it! I use it for cooking! I love the price 4 bars for $10. I use it on my sour dough bread and I put some butter on it and it melts while bread is hot.
Love sour dough! Cheers!
You've got my immediate follow. Why? Because of your thoroughness (like weighing and comparing % milk solids). Bravo!
Many, many thanks and welcome. I appreciate your kindness. Let me know how I can be at your service. Feel free to make video recommendations. All the best!
A difference between Irish and English butter is how it is made , Irish butter traditionally made after the milk has soured (claddered )
In England butter is made from sweet milk/cream.
I don't know if New Zealand butter made from fresh cream or not. One of the main things you notice with grass fed butter is the rich yellow colour . Danish butter is nearly white.
If I’m not mistaken, that is called cultured, correct? I like the taste of cultured butter. Thank you for reaching out!
Meanwhile I live in Canada and have the anemic white n impossible to spread butter 😅
Cream also has a lower fat content than elsewhere. It gets a bit annoying adjusting for recipes especially with dessert recipes.
I always thought Canada had great beef and dairy. Sorry to hear that.
@@AwareHouseChef I think we actually do have fairly decent beef products. We have access to import beef and meat produced in Alberta is actually quite good.
Growth hormones are restricted in Canada for cows in dairy production. That’s a decent trade off for many of us buying dairy domestically as opposed to across the border. Canada’s quite well known for being particularly protective of its dairy industry.
Growing up. I often visited Japan and I think any dairy outside of theirs isn’t enough to make me feel actually disappointed in what I have.
@@skinnydee1886 No. I just said that we have policy restrictions for dairy products. I live close enough to the border to just head to the US and buy Irish butter at Costco.
At certain grocers (Safeway/ThriftyFoods/Certain family/organic markets) you can buy “European style” butter which is a bit better but it’s still only just okay.
They used to have a Norwegian butter a few years back that was scrumptious
Something about dairy from that part of the world.
ONLY KerryGold (on sale at Costco this week) no substitute BUT having stated that The Brittany cultured butter ($10.00 for 8oz) reminds me of my grandmother's hand-churned butter which I treat myself to once a month ;-). LOVE YOUR VIDEOS and Thank You.
Thank you Fionuala! Beautiful name by the way!.Making butter is so much easier than people think. Miss my grandma. Cheers!
Yes my late mother (101 years 2019) would make butter with American milk it was nothing to my Gran's as the milk came from her own Fresian cows OH MY GOD memories of watching her.
I just Googled Brittany Cultured butter bc I was curious & it turns out Trader Joe's has one that's about half the price & Bon Appetit says is just as good. Might be worth checking out.
@@future.homesteader will do!
@@future.homesteader X
I love Kerrygold! Anytime I have it out I’m always slicing off small slivers of it and eating it all by itself
Kerrygold butter is currently unavailable in California.
My Stater Brothers manager told me that new packaging laws enacted beginning January 1, 2023 forbids the foil wrapper used by Kerrygold for their butter and it will "take a while" before they can repackage it.
I don't know if other U.S. States are affected as well. It's been almost 2 1/2 months since it's been off our shelves...
Same in NY
As a long time Kerry Gold Butter consumer and lover, I was alarmed at how much I was spending on butter. For the first time I saw the Kirkland and noticed it was 2/3 of the price of Kerry Gold, so I bought the Kirkland brand. I just tried it and found it every bit as good as the KG. It was also very creamy and rich. So my vote is to switch to the Kirkland brand!!
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I used to buy butter that comes in 4 sticks because I love the convenience of it. And I was 3 weeks ago old when I accidentally tried a new brand of butter, from Costco, which was not in my favourite format of 4 sticks per pound of butter. I was BLOWN AWAY by the taste, no exaggeration. Now, the brand of butter Costco carriess here in Canada is Beatrice (which I have bought many times from other stores and never thought anything special of), and I am not a fan of the flimsy packaging of their Costco butter, but THAT TASTE is absolutely superb! (I am only talking of unsalted butter here, I never buy the salted stuff). The Costco Beatrice butter is delicious enough to be eaten plain, by itself, with nothing else added, instead of dessert. Excellent for anyone doing keto and intermittent fasting, or anyone who may crave a late-night snack but wants to avoid the inevitable insulin spike.
Thank you for sharing!!
My grocery purchases are based on being organic and how the farm animals are treated. Like NO abusive factory farms. Only pasture raised.
👍👏
As a rural Irishman they did answer your question in the mostly affirmative. Hay and silage are both grass in preservable forms. The equivalent of beef jerky or (lacto-)pickled beef. Given that kerrigold buy from hundreds of operations they can’t blanket say one way or another but for those here who grow grass fed beef and dairy the ideal is to mow one’s own hay and portion it out into silage both on principle and the economics of it. Mother Danu having her cycles and issues one does occasionally need emergency feed after a drought or increasingly hot summers however, and one can’t rule out some farmers skirting the rules of course. I would imagine it is much the same in upside down Ireland or anywhere else really.
Thanks for sharing! All the best!
Didn't know if it was just me. Kerrygold tastes great. But I prefer low salt & organic foods for health reasons these days.
Then you will be quite pleased with the Costco brand. Thank you for reaching out ! Cheers!
Low salt is not healthier unless you have hypertension, plenty of research that shows this. Your body knows how much it wants/needs, add salt to taste.
Oh, thank you so much for this comparison. I switched from Kerrygold to the Kirkland, and am not happy with how hard it is. And exactly as you said, Kerry gold is SO tasty just on bread. I'm switching back to Kerry gold, I just enjoy it more🥰
My pleasure! All the best.
George,
You better do your research. I also have been using Kerigold for years but no longer.They have been misleading their customers. If the label does not say 100% Grass Fed then grass fed doesn’t mean a hill of beans. Kerigold feeds its cows mainly gmo corn and soy and perhaps a bit of grass. Who knows what the grass is laden with. I’m opting for 100% grass fed organic butter from now on.
I am sorry to hear that. They were once reputable
YES! False advertising. Important to support organic grass-fed farms.....any brands recommended?
@@AwareHouseChef From Ireland..and its hilarious to hear these peaky bitchy comments about butter. And no they don't feed soy to cows in Ireland...god I love the internet. you're all nuts but I still love ye! Peace
What is your source?
So neither butter is 100% grass fed and thus 100% gluten free. What about pesticides, glyphosates? And what exactly is fermented grass (from the e-mail response)? Also, both butters come in plastic wrap, so I’m concerned about bpa. How about paper wraps?
They have recalled their butter because of the packaging.
The truly sad part is , that we should be able to produce as good ourselves .
1:51 LOL my old friend, the separation funnel!
Thanks!😂😂
I have never understood the appeal of Kerrygold. But then again I was raised in France eating French butter. The best in the world, especially the unpasteurised variety.
I was visiting my son in France and I have to agree with you. Everywhere we went the butter was absolutely delicious.
I have been using Kerrygold for years. It’s my favorite butter. I usually get it at Sam’s Club. I switched to the Kirkland from Costco because of the price. Kerrygold is still my favorite, but the Kirkland is good enough.
Thanks for sharing!!
Try your experiments with a person who does not eat salt! You like a 25% higher salted butter because you eat salt! See what happens to your sense of taste when you cut out all salt for a few months. If you go back to eating salted foods you will realise food tastes fresher & better without salt. Without salt you can actually taste the food properly. Salt is an unhealthy addiction just like sugar folks. You need small amounts for potassium, and the amounts you actually require are naturally in most organic foods at source/naturally.
1:3 ratio of sodium to potassium
We love the Kirkland grass fed butter! Have been using it since it came out. Previously we bought Kerrygold, but appreciate the cheaper price of the Costco brand and feel the taste difference is minimal. Thanks for your comparison. Costco has many very good Kirkland products that save us money.
@@MrsC122 agreed! Cheers!
Thank you for sharing this about butter. I've recently switched to Kerigold and will not go back. The first time I spread it on a slice of home made fresh from the oven hard crunchy crusted soft and chewy bread I was transplanted back to my Grammy's kitchen table. Sitting up straight in the chair with a plate of home made baked beans, those red skinned hot dogs that the skin popped when you cut them with your fork.sliced tomato with salt and pepper and cukes in vinegar with salt and pepper and a huge glass of well water. When food was made with food and that as the only ingredients. and one of the best on the planet pies of any kind...man I miss my Grammy!!!
The butter TASTED like it used to 50 years ago. I feel when you use better quality products that you may use less because your not chasing the unattainable quality of flavor that a lower quality product can not produce. cheers....
My pleasure! So glad I could help!
Thank you! I don’t buy Kerrygold salted butter as it is too salty, I buy the unsalted. But after watching your video I’ll be trying the Kirkland brand. Not only because it has less salt but also because it has fewer milk solids. Again, thank you for this very informative video!!
Thank you very much! I appreciate your kindness, and that you reached out! All the best
How does KGF achieve a lower MILK FAT per serving compared to KG, yet KG still has more MILK solids? What makes KGF 2g less fat by serving, unless they add water?
We've been buying the Kirkland butter now for a few years, it's very good..
I love the Kerrygold, but good luck finding it. Here in NY all sold out at supermarket, Whole Foods. I found a store in NYC that had some, but when I looked at the price over 8 dollars for one. I’m having to buy Plugra for now. Now some idiot has brought a class action law suite against Kerrygold.
Something is happening with the packaging. We will see how this pans out. But you are right. I can’t get any myself
@@AwareHouseChef Chef lucked out ShopRite had the Kerrygold butter. Bought three packages and they were on sale $4.49. I use the unsalted.
🙂I was a fan of Kerrigold; but once looking at VitaFarms butter it labeled 90% grassfed hmm so I did some digging and found Kerrigold is 80% grassfed. In my search New Zeland butter came up; and now seeing your video it labels 95% grassfed. For me I am what I eat so $1 per pound saving also adding my own salt to taste will not be an issue. Things like corn oats wheat, etc: well the cover has been pulled - I am aware of the deceptions in these; so since the Kirkland dairy is developed the most with what cows are supposed to eat, I will have to start buying Kirkland butter, maybe even get a Costco membership. Your video was a heaven send as I was just debating over this issue today 12 29 2024; I believe I have my answer. 🤗
@@tlewis5901 thank you for your kindness! Have a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Does anyone remember Smjör butter? It was an Icelandic brand sold in Whole Foods for a hot minute. So amazing. Lurpak is also excellent, it’s French.
Never heard of it! Thank you for the recommendation
I lived in Scotland for 6 years and bought Kerry Gold butter all the time. Now that I’m in California again I have just gotten other butters. But didn’t know Costco had grass fed butter. Thank you for the info.
My pleasure and thank you for reaching out!
Thank you for your analysis. When I cook or bake, I use unsalted butter and add salt as desired. This option is better because it allows me to more precisely develop the desired flavor profile. Knowing this, I will more likely use the Kirkland butter for cooking and the Kerrygold butter for other uses; post-cooked foods.
Sounds great! Cheers!
Kerrygold is delicious. My family started buying it recently and I’ve been eating bread and butter way more often now. Didn’t realize it was grass fed, but that is a plus
Thanks for sharing!!
Funny we have been buying Kerrygold off and on for a couple years. Then my wife came home with the Kirkland NZ butter. Like you i did the cracker test, and also noticed that the Kirkland butter, when kept at room temp, turns a rich yellow color. So far we are really enjoying the NZ butter and now that i know about their standards, we will most likely keep buying it as long as it is available. BTW been to NZ a few times. Really nice place!
It is certainly on my travel bucket list! Thanks for sharing!
Ok I’m in love with the Kirkland butter! I’ve been using for a year now, your points are all perfect. I bought Kerry gold the other day again and it is softer and easier to spread, but I’m hooked on the Kirkland New Zealand butter I like the lower salt content and I feel it taste more buttery! We don’t do a lot of salt in my home
Thanks for sharing. I’ve also noticed that recently the Kirkland tastes much better than it did when I released this video. Cheers!
I love the new Kirkland butter. Got some last time I went shopping there and have been using it in all the normal ways I use butter, and I not only have no problems with adding a little salt to help the flavor, but I add pink mineral salt (commonly called Himalayan salt) instead of normal salt which makes it taste even better than a butter that is more salted to start with. I used to sometimes use Kerrygold butters but more often just got cheaper stick butter brands because I didn't notice a lot of difference, but this New Zealand butter I'll definitely be making my primary butter now. I actually prefer the shape of the blocks over normal stick butter because the longer thinner slices melt quicker and are easier to put on top of foods without having to spread it out as much or cut it into more pieces.
Glad to hear that you like it. Thank you for reaching out. Cheers!
I once liked Kerigold until I found the Vital Farms grass fed butter. It’s my favorite - hands down. 👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks for the recommendation!!
The chemical PFAS was recently banned in the United States. It was found in the iconic Kerrygold gold and silver foil packaging, causing the product to be pulled from stores. Did they change their packaging yet?
They are in the process. It’s pulled from all the shelves.
I lived in the UK and always sought out Kerrygold whose taste is in my opinion unmatched. Now we live in Ireland we find a large selection of grass fed local Irish butter and some are better than Kerrygold and are off the scale indulgent. I see local farmers take the cows in in deep winter and feed them silage but some parts of Ireland like West Cork have milder winters and the cows are out on pasture much longer and the local butter there is different....so so good!
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for producing this. This was short and helpful!
My pleasure! Thank you for your kindness. All the best
Been using Kerry Gold unsalted for years! And it's everywhere! Love it won't switch.
I love it!
Before finding your video, I did this same challenge between the 2 brands. I wanted Costco’s brand to win, since I love butter, and it’s cheaper 😁 But, I totally agree, Kerrygold is the clear winner on taste. Gonna have to keep buying it 😎
Thank you for sharing. Out of curiosity, when did you taste the Kirkland? I found that this year it’s significantly better than last all the best!
I've been thinking about making the switch to KerryGold for some time and I'm about to run out of butter. You just convinced me to go. Thanks!
Glad I could help!