Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Butter vs. Butterfat.

This is topic Butter vs. Butterfat. in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-11-2005, 12:47 AM:

I really should know the answer to this, but why does Odell's specify that it's butterFAT? Is there really a difference?

Posted by Kyle McEachern (Member # 2250) on 01-11-2005, 03:53 AM:

I have no proof that this is the case, but the way that it was explained to me when I was first hired at an establishment that used such a product was that the butterfat was the result of melting butter, letting it congeal, and using only the "fat" part of it (whatever was solidified at the top? I forget)...and the reason was that it a)enhanced the flavor more and b)lasted significantly longer.

I could be totally wrong, but that's how it was explained to me.

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-11-2005, 05:05 PM:

Yeah -- but I remember how they explained projection to you at said establishment. [Wink]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-11-2005, 05:41 PM:

If you buy butter at a store, a good chunk of it is paraffin (wax) which keeps it in shape, even unrefrigerated. Odells has none of that in it, it's just pure butterfat.

Interesting tid-bit: We used to use Odell's butterfat, but we got a free sample gallon of SuperKist 2 at a convention, so we decided to try it out one weekend. We didn't get one single complaint, in fact we got several compliments about our "better" butter. So needless to say, we switched to SuperKist permanently at about 1/4 the cost of the butterfat. To this day, we constantly get compliments about our great popcorn and have never had a complaint about the topping.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-11-2005, 07:57 PM:

SuperKist 2 is indeed the best butter substitute. I still prefer Odell's real though.

Steve

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-11-2005, 10:08 PM:

When I started in 1994 we used Promise at the theatres I worked for. And I liked it, it wasn't bad at all. I couldn't understand why all our customers were so uppity about whether it was real or not.

Then I went to work for Century and they have Odell's butterfat and DAMN did I realize what a fool I'd been for ever wishing butter-flavored topping on the world. I love da reel butter.

Although now if ever I help I customer I have to bite my tongue from asking "Would you like butter flavoring on that?"

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 01-11-2005, 10:11 PM:

is SuperKist 2 a lot healthier?

Posted by Wayne Keyser (Member # 2420) on 01-11-2005, 10:42 PM:

"If you buy butter at a store, a good chunk of it is paraffin (wax)" - Sorry, but no.

Natural butter as bought at the store contains butterfat plus assorted milk solids and proteins - it is the latter which are fairly perishable (but which also lend some complexity to the flavor). Melting the butter and skimming the nonfat portions makes "clarified butter" (in American chef's terms) or "ghee" (if you're from India) and improves its shelf life.

Probably, the vendor is looking at three factors: the improved shelf stability, the opportunity to sell the removed milkfat solids elsewhere, and the inability of most McDonald's-trained palates to notice the difference.

Nonetheless, you surprise me - I thought no butter at all was sold to top theater popcorn - the only toppings I heard of were coconut-oil "golden topping" and that sort of straight-to-the-artery-walls artificially flavored stuff.

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 01-11-2005, 11:51 PM:

I was under the impression that water was removed as well, which is why popcorn doesn't shrivel up as it does when you pour regular melted butter over it.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 01-11-2005, 11:58 PM:

I wonder if you had two butter pumps, one with REAL (clarified) butter and one with the standard "lubricant" whether you could charge people extra for the "good stuff"?

I suppose keeping inventory on two items and keeping two butter pumps clean then being sure people actually PAY for the "upgrade" would make it not worth it.

But, still, I wonder.

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-12-2005, 02:44 AM:

Apparently Blumenfeld Theatres of San Francisco, used to charge $0.50 for extra butter on their popcorn because they used the real butter. This was during the time when nobody else was using real butter, so people were willing to pay. Now of course Blumenfeld isn't charging for butter because they have no more theatres.

Posted by Brian D. Whitish (Member # 825) on 01-12-2005, 02:06 PM:

At Landmark Theatres we use Odells butter and dont charge extra for it. But when I worked for a company that didnt use real butter we used superkist2 and it was okay. Ive also used Whirl, which is a Proctor Gamble product, and it was pretty good too. Dont know if that is still available.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 01-12-2005, 10:58 PM:

I seem to vaguely recall Edwards charging extra for real butter, but that was a LONG time ago, like in the 60s or early 70s when they were still very small. Or am I imagining this? [Confused]

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-13-2005, 12:50 AM:

I recall as a kid that the drive-ins around here also charged extra for buttered popcorn, and even had special 'buttered popcorn' containers for it...

-Aaron