Vegan Butter

A warm childhood memory: Dad brings me back from kindergarten and buys me at the kiosk a green mint-flavored soda, or a block-shaped vanilla popsicle, wrapped in silver paper in the same way butter is wrapped.

Those were such happy times wrapped in warmth, love, and affection.

Those were the days when milk bottles were waiting for us at the door, and the sour cream was sold in glass jars with round curves. We would usually return the empty jars to the grocery store; But during the summer holidays, we, the neighborhood children, would turn them into small vases: we made pulp from newspaper shreds glued them to the jars painted them black gouache, and then glued yellow melon seeds on top.

On our street was a small lime factory. We would buy in cents a full bucket, whitewash the walls of the area near the stairwell of the building and turn it into our activity space. Quite a few rehearsals were held there for plays we wrote, directed, and acted (the parents were also recruited for the production and were responsible for preparing the costumes).
Like all the kids at the time – we spent many hours downstairs

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At that time, butter and sour cream were considered luxuries. However, while most of the neighbors who were in a similar financial situation to ours compromised on margarine, soybean oil, and buttermilk – we spread butter on our bread, used it in fried omelets and french toast. Sour cream starred in Hungarian potato soup, Rakott Krumpli (a vegetarian version), a sweet filling for Palacsinta, and in many other dishes (please be patient, ok? 😉

I remember how a relative – scolded my mom for her “extravagant” behavior; But my parents, who managed to give us, despite the circumstances, a feeling of abundance, with the help of those “little things” that made the big difference – were not willing to give up the butter and sour cream. Substitutes were by no means out of the question. Regardless of the financial situation – we always ate well. As for sweets and other snacks – well, it is worth a post of its own…

This recipe for uncompromising vegan butter – is dedicated with love to my late parents and in memory of those innocent days.

This butter is part of the basic recipes that miraculously upgrade my kitchen. Here comes a big Tribute to Miyoko Schinner – who can rightly be crowned as the Guru of the Vegan Recipes. Many of them were developed on the shoulders of her recipes and inspired by her.

More than twenty years ago – when veganism was still considered by many to be a sort of esoteric cult, even then she had a restaurant in San Francisco called Now And Zen – where she developed some of her breakthrough recipes such as butter, “bacon”, “turkey” and of course her famous cheeses.

This recipe is based on her recipe as well as a recipe from The Gentle Chef’s excellent book.

After making it once you will forget about the store-bought version!

And most importantly – this butter is good for your heart:

Unlike the original recipe, which explicitly states that refined coconut oil is mandatory, I used cold-pressed coconut oil (see important note below the recipe).

Now listen: you do not feel the taste of coconut in this butter!

This sweeping concern throughout the network can be understood; I also stay away from cold-press coconut oil in chocolate sauce or in vegan Nutella! But here, in some mysterious way, the cold-pressed coconut oil actually contributes to the “buttery” taste; it gives this special sweetness that is characteristic of traditional butter.

So instead of eating with remorse at best and harming our health at worst. Why not earn nutritional value along the way as well? I’m sure there is no need to elaborate on the wonders of cold-pressed coconut oil; Just to mention that it raises the level of good cholesterol!

Disclosure: This recipe requires the addition of 1/3 cup of canola oil; In my opinion, however, the advantage of cold-pressed coconut oil outweighs the disadvantages of canola oil 🙂

Update: it works perfectly also with refined Sunflower oil or Avocado oil!

This recipe contains lactic acid (or apple cider vinegar), which saves us the fermentation process.

By and large, I prefer to make this recipe as it is: neutral; That way I can use it for both savory and sweet recipes. Later you can soften the butter and add goodies like garlic, herbs, and even saffron or truffle oil/salt. The butter can be solidified in silicone molds in various shapes.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful butter as much as I do.