The 5 Reasons I Swear by Kerrygold Butter at Home

I live 200 miles away from the closest Costco warehouse. Somehow, this doesn't deter me from maintaining my membership and instead is the greatest excuse to take a road trip. Since I only go a few times of the year, I always stock up on essentials - toilet paper, bulk nuts, and a bunch of Kerrygold butter. In our house, we call them bricks of gold because three 8-ounce sticks come packed in a shiny, gold package. The bricks go from the shelves to our freezer, dutifully stacked three or four high, to make sure there's no way we'll run out before our next Costco trip.

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I imagine I'm not the only one stocking up - it turns out that Kerrygold USA is the third most popular butter in America (after Land O'Lakes and Challenge). This butter is perfect for barbecues. This seems to be all everyone wants on their grilled corn on the cob!

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter

What Is Kerrygold Butter?

Kerrygold Butter was created by Sir Anthony O'Reilly in 1962, who aimed to establish a brand as high quality as that of the Irish milk it would use. This popular brand is Ireland's only internationally-known food brand, and is one of the top brands in a number of countries, from Germany to the United States.

This beloved brand sets itself apart by using top quality milk from the dairy farmers of Ireland, using only the most delicious grass-fed products. The family farms that supply milk to Kerrygold use farming traditions that have been passed down over generations, allowing them to create only the richest products.

Kerrygold butter is now owned by Ornua, whose name comes from the Irish word "?"r Nua," meaning "new gold." This agri-food cooperative is Ireland's largest dairy product exporter and also owns Pilgrims Choice, Dubliner and more. The company chose the name "Kerrygold" to bring to mind "farming, naturalness, goodness and above all quality milk," along with representing the Irishness of the brand.

If you haven't caught on yet, we put together the top 5 reasons you should make the switch for this baking season to a luscious butter from Ireland.

1. Great cream makes great butter.

Kerrygold Pure Irish cream only buys cream from a cooperative of Irish dairy farmers. These farmers have been raising grass-fed cattle for centuries, and the cream from grass-fed cows is considered some of the best in the industry. The best tasting butter comes from the highest quality ingredients, so sourcing premium dairy products is what makes Kerrygold Irish Butter a step above.

My culinary school instructors once told me that it's easy to cook amazing meals every day when you use the best ingredients, and that principle is obvious with one taste of European-style Kerrygold butter. Once you spread this wonderful butter on your morning toast or use it to bake some cookies, we think you'll notice this high-quality cream's superior flavor.

2. Grass-fed cattle is better.

The European cows Ornua uses for Kerrygold butter are fed a diet of rich, fertile Irish pasture grass. The year-round temperate weather and moisture-bearing southwest winds create the perfect climate for rolling, green pastures with lush grass. Although it can't be said Kerrygold is 100% non-GMO, these happy Kerrygold cows graze on this amazing grass, producing rich, sweet milk. The great flavor of the milk translates into a golden yellow butter that's some of the best real butter around.

Just like grass-fed beef is known for being more nutrient-rich than grain-fed beef, you'll find the same distinction in grass-fed dairy. In addition to its richer flavor, grass-fed butter has more Omega-3 fatty acids than the competition and their conjugated lineoleic acids (CLA) are known for reducing inflammation and promoting wellness.

3. The cows are free-range and untreated.

Kerrygold only buys cream from cows never treated with antibiotics or growth hormones. They even take it one step further and look for cows grazing on pesticide-free grasses, as these chemicals affect the quality of the cream. These happy Kerrygold grass-fed cows spend 300 days a year, soaking in the sun as they graze on nutrient-rich grass.

Growth hormones increase milk production in cattle, which is great for milk producers, but not great for the cows themselves. Supporting a dairy like Kerrygold also supports farmers trying to increase animal husbandry on their farms.

4. It makes the best baked goods.

On to the really important stuff: the baking! Kerrygold butter has a lower water content than other types of butter, and this means one very important thing when it comes to baking: flakiness. There is less water to react with the flour, causing pie crusts and biscuits to turn out extra flakey. Whether you're sticking to unsalted butter or salted butter, you can't go wrong for flaky, buttery baked goods.

Using high-quality butter in your favorite baked good recipes (like cookies, croissants, and scones) guarantees you'll have the richest, most delicious pastries.

5. It's unbelievably creamy.

The rich and creamy flavor of Kerrygold makes it the perfect butter choice, no matter how you're using it. Spread it on crusty bread to enjoy the pure, unadulterated taste of this grass-fed butter. Swirl in a pat or two into sauces, thickening them up and adding a glossy quality. Or bake with it in any number of ways. The all-natural butter was made to be dressed up for baked potatoes, that's for sure.

For the flavor and the quality, Kerrygold is the best butter money can buy. Its bright yellow color indicates its deep rich flavor, and its creamy texture is simply incomparable to other kinds of butter.

No matter how you choose to use Kerrygold, I have a feeling you'll be like me. Once you try pure Irish butter, you'll never go back to the other stuff. Get to the grocery store and discover the hype for yourself! You'll soon be like me and hoard Kerrygold butter in your freezer.

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