Butter sticks - short and stubby or long and thin?

[bcla]

It was mentioned in some other thread on food, but how do you get your butter? American style butter seems to come mostly in 1/4 lb (8 tablespoon) sticks wrapped in waxed paper. Around here the overwhelming choices are the short and stubby variety, but I understand in other parts of the country that longer (Elgins) are more common.

There are some "premium" (higher fat) butters that come in large foil-wrapped bricks. There is one European style butter brand - Plugras, as well as Kerrygold butter imported from Ireland.

Recently I was out of butter and I got the cheapest thing I could find at a supermarket, which was Land O Lakes on sale. Didn't feel like making another trip to Trader Joe's just to save $1. But they had options including "half sticks". I wasn't quite sure what that meant, but the box was wider and shorter, so I thought it was more the eastern-style sticks, until I opened the box and found they were 1/8 lb or 4 tablespoons each stick. I probably should have figured that out from seeing the box. These seem to be more the eastern style, but only half as long.

 

[tvguy]

Land O Lakes is a popular brand with bakers. I wonder if the smaller sticks are to make it easier for those baking that don't need 8 tablespoon sticks

 

[bcla]

Land O Lakes is a popular brand with bakers. I wonder if the smaller sticks are to make it easier for those baking that don't need 8 tablespoon sticks

I find it's pretty nice because that's exactly the amount I use for white sauce. I'm not going to make a habit out of buying these. But they're just so cute.

 

[DLgal]

I only buy Kerrygold at this point, but I cut in half into long sticks because that is the shape of my butter dish.

 

[Disneylover99]

That’s my butter. It’s one big block.

 

[disneychrista]

Short & Stubby (kinda like me).

There was one brand I got that was long and thin. Thought it was weird.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

It comes in 8 TBLS sticks. Except the Irish butter, it is a block. I only get the Irish butter around holidays, lol.

 

[pryncess527]

I use plugras when im baking pie.

for all else I use Tillamook in tge regular long stick

 

[MarkLT1]

Stick size/shape does't matter too much to us. However sweet butter is very much superior to salted butter.

 

[Kitty 34]

Imperial Butter.......long and thin

 

[NYCgrrl]

If I can't find a higher fat content butter when baking Land O' Lakes foil wrapped sweet butter is a great substitute. It has a fresher taste than the Land O' Lakes packed in wax paper.

Another lover of Plugra when it's on sale at which point I load up on it and stick it in the freezer. Well wrapped it lasts at least 6 months.

 

[mmouse37]

In our neck of the woods (Northeast) our butter usually is sold in 4 quarters (long) wrapped in wax paper. I love those cute little half sticks thought LOL. My husband went shopping the other day and got a 1 lb block so will have to cut that down to fit in our butter dish. Most of the stuff I bake calls for either 1 stick or 2. I prefer salted butter.

MJ

 

[wenrob]

My DH accidentally bought the Land O Lakes half sticks and I’ve been using them ever since. They’re perfect for my butter dish and I like that I don’t have to cut sticks in half for recipes. Of course now DH forgets that I actually like them and buys the full sticks when he does the shopping.

 

[3threebabies]

Amish 2 pound rolls. Relatively local and pasture raised cows. Oldest family run dairy in country.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Interesting. I have never seen the short sticks. I usually buy whatever’s on sale, so different brands: Breakstone, Land O’Lakes, Cabot, etc. or the store brand. They’re all the long sticks, four 1/4 lb sticks in a 1 lb. box. Had no idea there were regional differences.

 

[Skippy918]

I buy the Costco butter. It’s the shorter and wider sticks.

 

[fly girl]

Interesting. I have never seen the short sticks. I usually buy whatever’s on sale, so different brands: Breakstone, Land O’Lakes, Cabot, etc. or the store brand. They’re all the long sticks, four 1/4 lb sticks in a 1 lb. box. Had no idea there were regional differences.

Butter is long and thin on east coast, and short and fat on the west coast. I brought the butter stick thing up a while back on a thread like OP mentioned, and a short history lesson later I learned it came down to the machines manufacturers used for the butter. The west went with a different machine than the east.

I remember my family adjusting to a lot of things being the same, yet slightly different when we moved in 1986 from Michigan to Arizona. Butter wasn't the only thing...

Edy's switches to Dreyers, Hellman's switches to Best Foods, then you have the whole Arnolds, Brownberry, or Oroweat bread. Even Girl Scout cookies are different depending on what factory you get them from. Peanut Butter Patties or Tagalongs/ Shortbread or Trefoils/ Peanut Butter Sandwich or Do-Si-Dos/ Carmel Delites or Samoa! Crazy how it changes, yet they are the same thing.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Got a little sidetracked and never answered OP's original question, LOL.
I'm guessing short and stubby means eighths in a 1 pound box, and long and thin means quarters equaling a lb based on the photo in the starting thread. There's also bulk slab of butter that weighs a pound. I can get the slab, and the quarters readily. The only time I've seen the eights is in a supermarket in CT.

 

[ronandannette]

View attachment 486907
That’s my butter. It’s one big block.

I've never seen butter split up into 1/4 lbs. in Canada.

 

[Heather07438]

mmm butter!

We like whatever is on sale for $3/lb, though I prefer Land o' Lakes because their wax paper does keep it fresher. I also like the mini-stick 8pk when it's on sale.

We love the 2lb Amish roll of butter for $10 when we come across it.

And splurge on Kerrygold and Plugra occasionally.