Also indexed as: Beef Tallow, Coconut Oil, Lard, Palm Kernel
Oil, Palm Oil, Tropical Oils
Preparation, uses, and tips
Butter is a staple in many countries. It is used daily by many people as a spread on toast,
bread, and sandwiches. In cooking, it is a key ingredient in sauces, pastries, creams, and
soups. Flavored butters, containing garlic, herbs, lemon, and/or nuts, are used to season
seafood, vegetables, and potatoes. Butter (with the exception of ghee) should never be cooked
at high temperatures, as it burns easily.
Buying and storing tips
Butter is usually purchased in foil-like packaging that protects it from light, the
absorption of odors, moisture loss, and discoloration. Butter may be stored in its original
package in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months. Butter can also be frozen, but it begins to
lose some of its flavor after about 6 months. Ghee is traditionally kept, sometimes for
months, without refrigeration. Nevertheless, homemade ghee is best stored in the
refrigerator.
Varieties
Butter
Butter is a smooth, fatty substance made by churning cream (most often the cream from
cow’s milk). The churning causes the fat in the cream to separate from the liquid, which
produces butter. The remaining liquid is known as buttermilk.
Ghee
Ghee is the traditional Sanskrit word for clarified butter (e.g., butter that has the milk
solids and water removed). Having no milk solids, ghee has a longer shelf life and can be
heated to much higher temperatures than butter without burning.
Coconut and palm oils
Coconut and palm oil are called the “tropical fats.” These oils contain a
significant amount of the saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid. Coconut and palm oils are
staples in the traditional diet of the Polynesian countries, where they are eaten in their
natural state. However, in the United States, these oils are used primarily in the
manufacturing of processed foods, and are not readily available for use in home-food
preparation.
Lard and beef tallow
Lard and beef tallow are the fats derived from pigs and cows, respectively. These products
are used in food manufacturing and, to a lesser extent, in home-food preparation.
Nutrition Highlights
Butter, 1 tsp butter (5g)
Calories: 45
Protein: 0.4g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 5.0g
Fiber: 0.0g
Lard, 1 Tbsp lard (13g)
Calories: 115
Protein: 0.0g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 2.8g
Fiber: 0.0g
Ghee, 1 tsp ghee
Calories: 45
Protein: 0.0g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 5.0g
Fiber: 0.0g