The spring makes everything a little bit better, including butter!
posted on
April 18, 2021
Spring is here and so is spring butter!
At Beiler Family Farm all the cows are back out grazing in the beautiful pastures on fresh spring grass. Right now farmer Jonas says the grass is already about 7 to 9 inches in height, and the cows are sure loving it!
All that grass-fed goodness is passed along from the cows to you in the Beiler's delicious milk and dairy products.
But what is spring butter, and why is it so special?
Here are 5 things you need to know about spring butter:
1.Spring grass is different from summer grass.
Spring grass is full of extra protein. In fact, so much so that if farmer Jonas doesn’t supplement the cows with hay for the first few weeks all that fresh spring grass will “run right through them.”
Spring grasses are packed with more nutrients than any other time of the year. All those nutrients also make their way into spring butter.
Farmer Jonas says, “the grass is no longer considered spring grass around mid June when the grass goes to seed.” At that point the protein content drops and the grass is then higher in carbohydrates.
2.Spring butter looks different.
All the beta carotene in the fresh spring grass attributes to the bright yellow color of spring butter. The cows don’t only graze on grass they also munch on wild flowers like dandelions. These flowers also add to the bright sunny color of spring butter!
3. Spring butter tastes different.
During the winter months the cows are fed hay. This results in a steady and predictable taste.
However, when spring comes the cows get to forage for all sorts of goodies out on pasture, and it is a difference you can taste!
The flavors of grasses, wild flowers, weeds, and sometimes even wild onions are concentrated in the taste of spring butter.
4.Spring grass is good for the cows.
Spring grass is perfectly balanced with all the right nutrition for not only the cows but their babies too!
Farmer Jonas believes that perhaps cows naturally birth more in the spring because the calves can more easily digest the high protein grass that they graze alongside their mothers.
5.Spring butter is good for you too!
Above all butter, spring butter has the highest levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, CLAs, trace minerals, and Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
All those nutrients can add up to a lot of health benefits, and for that we can be thankful for spring butter!
Enjoy the food,
-Sara
And the Beiler Farm team
You can buy Beiler Family Farm butter here on our online store!