OK.
Recent shock when I went to the supermarket to replenish some basics, and the butter was a standout.
I have flora spread for sandwiches, but I do prefer the Buttersoft brand for toast - all other spreads I have tried make the toast soggy, like there is water in it.
The price has gone from $6.80ish to $8.00, and that was after a significant price rise a few years ago.
Is there a cheaper alternative for Buttersoft? Aldi shoppers - Help???
Amateur level toasting.
500g a week in our place.
If op toasts a lot too, get real butter and keep it on the bench in a butter dish.
How long do you find it lasts on the bench? I am always paranoid about leaving dairy out of the fridge.
Butter is milk fat, and will last a long time, weeks at least, unrefridgerated.
When it spoils, it does not present a health risk, like milk that could provide a space for bacteria to grow, instead it oxidises into an not very pleasant tasting acid.
This is called going “rancid”, and is the same chemical action that turns wine into vinegar.
The oxidised part looks a darker yellow, and starts on the outside.
A butter dish with a lid prevents new air entering, greatly retarding the oxidation.
The oxidation happens faster in warm areas, so summer in QLD probably isn’t perfect for bench top butter.
The aldi one is the same exactly. I am sure it's manufactured by mainland. Opening up it's identical, same wax paper, same exact tub, cannot discern product difference - same ingredients list and order.
'South Island naturally soft'
I'm in Aldi now, and they have Buttersoft next to the South Island. Yep, exactly the same. Buttersoft still only 6.89 at Aldi. Hmm, may have to use Aldi more.
Careful what you call "butter". The butter manufacturers get very upset when you call products like Western Star's butter. They are "dairy blends". They mix milk fats with vegetable oils to get something that looks like butter, tastes pleasantly like butter, but has the right spreadability straight out of the fridge. It is severely stretching the definition of "naturally" to call it "naturally soft".
This is like the fight over what can be sold as "milk".
Buttersoft isn’t exactly pure butter. Although it does at least have butter in it
I've tried most of them.
I hate margarine.
Devondale "spreadable Dairy Soft original" regular salt is my favourite.
68% butter.
It is an acceptable substitute for pure butter.
Australian made, unlike Mainland.
Thanks Ozbargainers.
To wrap up, butter crisis averted (for now) - I got the answer I wanted with this post. My local Aldi had the "South Island" brand (250g, unit price $1.80/100g) right next to the "Mainland" brand (375g, unit price $1.84/100g).
The Aldi mainland price was $6.89, compared to $8.00 in colesworth (unit price $2.13/100g). It will be interesting of the price increase flows through to Aldi, but hope not.
On the other hand - sick of people trying to justify everything as just x cents per day/week/month. Here is just 1 specific product, but these pea-brains don't comprehend that these increases are across the board.
If all these price increases for grocery items were legit (based on cost of products production increases & transport), then it is what it is. But, I suspect that there are opportunity price increases, which will lead to bumper profits and massive executive bonuses - and people are applauding this. But I suppose reality is that demand/inflation does include these opportunity increases, and it will level out eventually,
How much toast do you eat? If a tub lasts you three months then that's just 40 cents a month increase, doesn't seem worth stressing about.