An everlasting delight of the gourmand, the invention of butter dates back to the earliest days of dairying. Butter serves as the faithful ally of the culinary arts and is regarded as the constant symbol of living. Since its invention and till date, it has been symbolized with adjectives like powerful, life giving, sacred, good, happy, healthy and pure. Butter has been associated with a variety of food preparations like bread spread, mashed potatoes, flaky butter cookies, pancakes, vegetables, sauces, pastries, cakes, etc - the list continues. This healthy fat comes along with numerous health benefits as well, which are given below.
Health Benefits Of Butter
* Rich in vitamin A, butter is necessary for thyroid, adrenal health and good eye vision.
* It contains lauric acid that is essential for treating fungal infections and candida.
* The fat contains lecithin, which is important for cholesterol metabolism.
* Butter protects the body against free radical damage and weakening of arteries, as it contains anti-oxidants.
* It contains conjugated lenoleic acid that serves as a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder and immunity booster.
* The fat promotes fertility in women and also offers protection against tooth decay.
* The only source of an anti-stiffness factor, butter protects the calcification of the joints and pineal gland, prevents hardening of arteries and cataract.
* The fat enables body to absorb minerals, as it is a source of Activator X.
* It contains cholesterol that is significant for children’s brain and nervous system development.
* Butter protects toddlers and elderly people from gastrointestinal infections.
* It is a source of Vitamin K2, which is important for treating arthritis, osteoporosis, tooth decay, tuberculosis, emphysema and asthma.
* The fat helps in keeping skin smooth and healthy.
* Butter provides padding to protect vital organs and the skeleton against bumps and falls.
* It insulates the body from temperature variations.
Caution
* Including excess butter in your diet can increase the risk of heart disease.
* Butter increases your chances of becoming obese and induces certain types of cancer also.
* The soft, waxy substance called cholesterol can build up in the arteries, due to a rich butter diet.
Cooking Tips
* After softening butter, add spices, herbs or other flavoring agents to it, to produce a compound butter or composite butter. Use it as a spread or melt it on hot food, into a sauce.
* Sweeten the compound butter and serve it with desserts.
* While adding dots of butter to pies and casseroles, use a vegetable peeler and a frozen stick of butter to lessen the mess.
* Spread a thin layer of butter into a sandwich, to add moisture and flavor. This will prevent the filling from getting soaked by the bread.
* When substituting salted butter for unsalted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon per ½ cup of butter.
* Do not defrost butter in a microwave, as this will destroy the emulsion. Instead, cut the butter into small chunks and leave them until malleable.
* While creaming butter, use a mixer to whip it for about 3 minutes.
