Why is Irish butter yellow? - National Dairy Council Ireland (2024)

FAQs

Why is Irish butter yellow? - National Dairy Council Ireland? ›

The naturally occurring plant pigment carotene is responsible for the yellow colour of Irish butter. The carotene content of butter depends largely on the animals diet. In Ireland, dairy cows are fed primarily a grass based diet, which is rich in carotene.

Irish butter (such as Kerrygold) and European butter contain at least 82% butterfat for a creamier product and are easier to spread than classic butter. The difference between the two lies in a couple of details: Irish butter is salted and uncultured, while European butter is unsalted and cultured.

Why Is Irish Butter Yellow? The moist climate in Ireland creates fertile soil and extra-green grass, which results in higher levels of beta-carotene. In turn, this adds an even brighter yellow hue to the Irish cow's milk. Grass-fed cows absorb beta-carotene through their diet and store it in their fat.

The butter is rich, creamy and yellow. It is tasty and salty. In early Medieval Ireland, butter was a luxury food; it also was used as payment of taxes and rent along with cows, pigs, bacon and honey, according to the ancient Brehon Laws. So precious that people bury it!

Cabot Extra Creamy barely edged out the salted butter by Isigny Sainte-Mère, a storied brand out of Normandy, France. That butter scored 99.6 from the judges. Nevertheless, please note: A half-pound of Cabot Extra Creamy Sea Salted butter rings up at about $4.

A natural pigment, beta-carotene, provides this yellow colour. The presence of this carotene is also why butter is a source of Vitamin A. Cows that have been fed green fodder – such as grass – will tend to have more carotene in their milk, and therefore give yellower butter than cows fed on dry feed, like grains.

The reason for this is what the cows are fed; grass fed cows produce a yellow butter. The science behind this is the beta-carotene (yellow pigment) found in the grass eaten by cows; which is stored in the cows' fat and carried into the milk.

Why is British butter so yellow? Yellow butter is produced by grass-crunching cows, because they're taking in lots of beta-carotene from the great outdoors. Lush, green British fields are ideal, because there's so much for the cows to tuck into – so butter from the UK is often a particularly rich yellowy colour.

New Zealand leads the global pack by quite a bit with a consumption rate of around 3.9 kg per capita, and those numbers have remained fairly consistent throughout recent years.

Which country loves butter the most? ›

New Zealand had the highest per capita consumption of butter worldwide in 2022. That year, the average Canadian consumed 3.9 kilograms of butter per capita.

Irish butter can be good for baking, but not always

Because of its higher butterfat content, Irish butter (like most European butter) tends to be sweeter and richer than American butter. It also contains less water. In the pros section, this can elevate the overall flavor of your bake.

Grass-fed butter tends to be more nutritious, too

According to Everyday Health, there could be more omega-3 fatty acids in your pat of Irish butter when compared to regular butter. Also, a study from 2015 found that this type of butter could have less saturated fat, and more polyunsaturated fat, than your old standby.

The naturally occurring plant pigment carotene is responsible for the yellow colour of Irish butter. The carotene content of butter depends largely on the animals diet. In Ireland, dairy cows are fed primarily a grass based diet, which is rich in carotene. Carotene can be converted to vitamin A in the human body.

How Do You Store Butter to Keep it Fresh? The best way to store butter is in the refrigerator, according to a representative at Kerrygold, the makers of grass-fed Irish butter.