Should I use salted or unsalted butter?

"The majority of cows that produce Westgold butter are jersey cows which are known for their high quality, rich and creamy milk that is naturally high in butter fat."

Does your choice of butter really make that much difference? While it doesn’t matter as much in cooking as you can add salt and taste as you go, baking on the other hand is more of a ‘science’ and requires much more control and measurement.

When to use unsalted butter?
The professionals among us are adamant that by using unsalted butter you can control the amount going into your baking. Using salted butter means relinquishing that control as you don’t know how much salt you are adding. Then why do some recipes say to use unsalted butter and then add salt later on? This again comes back to control as salt amounts will vary between butter brands. For recipes where butter is your hero ingredient such as butter cake, cookies and pastry - the flavour just won’t be the same if you use salted butter.

When to use salted butter?
When it comes to everyday, multi-purpose use, salted butter is the easiest option. From bread and toast, general cooking with meat and vegetables, pasta dishes and special sauces, salted butter is the most versatile. Salt can also act as a preservative so has a longer shelf life than unsalted butter.

Ideally, it’s best to use the butter the recipe dictates. For baking recipes where it doesn’t specify, use your preference, whatever is in the fridge, or unsalted where you can.

If you find a recipe calls for unsalted butter and you only have salted in the fridge? Don’t worry, you can still use the salted option, just reduce the amount of added salt the recipe calls for.

To really confuse things, some people love salty-sweet foods and use salted butter across all baking and cooking recipes.

Our verdict? Each to their own, there really is no right or wrong. What’s your preference? Let us know on our Facebook Page here.