Salted or Unsalted butter? Which is normal?

Question

I just want normal butter. Should I get salted or unsalted. Why are there two anyways?

Answer 1

You should get unsalted.  Salted is REALLY salty, and for special purposes only, IMHO.  Also, any recipe that calls for butter is calling for unsalted.

Answer 2

salted butter for food and sweet butter for sweets

Answer 3

If you are using the butter for baking, use unsalted (used because some recipes call for no or less salt than what is contained in salted butter.)  Use salted butter if you are cooking with it or using it on breads or vegetables.

Answer 4

Salted butter is considered normal in north america.

Unsalted, or sweet butter is used for pastries etc.

Answer 5

normal is salted. its the way butter has been made since the dawn of butter. unsalted is a new product made for those with special low sodium diets

Answer 6

Salted is usual for commercial butter.  The salt is added because people have come to expect it.  Originally it was added as a preservative.  Unsalted is used when called for in recipes as one cannot tell how much salt was used in the making of any given butter.  Now let me add a couple of comments, salted butter is not extremely salty, unsalted melts better and leaves less fallout when clarified.  Cows do indeed eat salt, in fact they, as most other living things, will die without it.  We all need a minimal amount of salt.  Most farmers provide a salt & mineral supplement for their animals as a routine thing.  Cows will not overindulge as humans do.  They take what they need & go about their business.

Answer 7

Salted butter is what we typically use for every day use. You will notice a difference because unsalted tastes more bland. And no, salted butter is not extremely salty. Unsalted butter however would be more natural as cows do not consume salt. A lot of recipes call for unsalted butter which is probably one reason why both are available. Not to mention a lot of people need to watch their sodium intake.

Answer 8

Salted butter is used to put on bread, veggies, in a skillet to cook your eggs, etc.  The unsalted is used in baking because with salted butter, you don't know how much salt is in it and don't know how much you should modify your recipe to make up for that extra salt.

That's why there are two different kinds.  If you don't bake then you only need to buy the salted butter.

If you eat in a restaurant that serves real butter, they always serve salted butter (and it's not too salty).

Answer 9

I use both. Salted butter for rolls or in pasta. Unsalted butter for recipes.