Dr. Weston A. Price lived in a unique time in history. His world-wide travels and the photographic equipment he used to record them were part of the new modern age. Yet the people he studied were firmly rooted in ages past. His own dental practice and laboratory contained modern scientific tools yet many of the people he saw in his practice were from olden-time, rural areas.

 

    Of particular concern to Dr. Price were the children that came to him as well as those he heard about who desired his care. Many of the children he helped were living in extreme poverty due to the Great Depression. There were children with mouths full of rotted teeth, bones that were weak and breaking from malnutrition and rickets, some of the children were near death. In many cases the miracle cure that healed the rickets, stopped the convulsions, repaired the bones and restored the teeth was a simple dose of of high vitamin butter oil each day mixed with good quality cod liver oil. Yes, butter oil and cod liver oil healed all of that.

 

    "...the high-vitamin butter produced on the early summer growth of grass put in storage and used during the winter will go far toward solving our great national problem of shortage of fat-soluble vitamins. The quantity of the mixture of butter oil and cod liver oil required is quite small, half a teaspoonful three times a day with meals is sufficient to control wide-spread tooth decay when used with a diet that is low in sugar and starches and high in foods providing minerals....this is usually adequate to prevent dental caries and maintain a high immunity, it will also maintain freedom from colds and a high level of health in general." from Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A. Price

 

    The best butter by far comes from the deep yellow-orange butter that is produced by cows feeding on the rapidly growing green grass of spring. The indigenous groups studied by Dr. Price valued this butter the most and gave it to their growing children and to expectant mothers. When Dr. Price analyzed this beautiful butter he found it was very high in all of the fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A and D. These are the same vitamins that are essential for healthy bones, as well as brain and nervous system development and also healthy reproduction.

 

    Where can we find this kind of wonderful butter today? It is only found in dairies that allow their cows to graze on green pasture that grows from healthy, nourished soil. The cream from these cows is rich and nutrient dense. It contains all of the nutritional factors so valued by Dr. Price and his study subjects. The raw butter also contains a compound that protects humans and animals from degenerative arthritis. However pasteurization destroys this "anti-stiffness" component.

 

    Second in line from the raw butter would be butter made from pasteurized cream that is still from all grass fed cows. The deep yellow color is usually an indicator of the bountiful vitamin content. This butter is often found in health food stores. Many imported butters are made from cows kept on pasture.

 

    Third best butter would be pasteurized organic butter from the grocery store. Organic standards don't require an all grass diet so these cows may also be fed some grain. The benefits to organic are a lack of growth hormones, pesticides or antibiotics in the butter.

 

    If you don't have access to any of the kinds of butter mentioned above, then any other grocery store butter is still better than the chemical concoctions that make up the margarines and buttery spreads! Of some concern these days would be the newly approved GMO alfalfa that is being fed to some cows that produce conventional butter. It's always good to know your company's policies on GMO and growth hormones. Avoid them if at all possible! There are many good brands of butter available that are GMO free.

 

    What is the difference between sweet butter and cultured butter? Cultured butter is made from cream that has been allowed to naturally sour or has had lactic acid cultures added to transform the fresh cream into cultured cream. European countries frequently enjoy cultured butter and it is becoming more widely available in the U.S.

 

    Want to Make Your Own Butter?

You will need 1 qt. raw or pasteurized cream from grass fed cows, never use ultra-pasteurized cream

 

    Place the cream in a clean mixer bowl or your food processor bowl. Beat the cream until the butter forms. First it will whip, then become thicker and then suddenly it will "break" into butter clumps and buttermilk. Save the buttermilk in a jar in the refrigerator for another use. Gather the butter up and press or squeeze out the remaining buttermilk from the butter. Wash the butter by adding a little water and then pressing or squeezing again until no more water comes out. Press the butter into a container or crock, cover and chill.

 

    Make a delicious herb butter for spreading on rolls, melting on vegetables or stirring into a sauce.

Herb Butter from Nourishing Traditions

 

    (Makes 3/4 cup)

1/8 cup fresh parsley sprigs

1 Tblsp fresh tarragon leaves

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 cup butter, softened

    You can find more delicious recipes in the Well Fed Family's Eating With the Seasons cookbook.