Milk in butter is the recall heard around the United States. A recall of 80,000 pounds of Costco’s Kirkland brand butter for not being labeled as containing milk was reported in several news outlets. 

Posts on social media have poked fun at the recall, pointing out that butter is a dairy product. Some commentary has suggested rather than a recall or a suggestion of disposing of the butter, Costco could simply have added a sticker with “contains milk” to the packaging to avoid food waste.

Still a larger question remains: How have we drifted so far from our food sources that we need a disclaimer on packages of butter to tell us it is made with milk?

Estimates vary for how far removed Americans are from having first-hand experience on farms. Some estimates are three generations others are as far as five or six generations removed from farms. In either case, that is roughly 60 to 120 years away from daily life on a farm.

But, what about cooking?

With the rise in popularity of cooking and the celebrity chef, one would think most Americans would have a basic grasp of food. Yet, a survey conducted last year suggested more than half of respondents considered themselves “failures” in the kitchen.

Not every household has access to garden-grown herbs, tomatoes and farmers markets. Not every person has a parent, grandparent or elder willing or able to teach them how to be comfortable cooking a meal. But access to ingredients and the ability to produce meals with them are both things that can be changed.

While many see the recall on butter as the nanny state dumbing down America to the lowest common denominator, perhaps the better approach is to think of it as an opportunity for community building. 

The late chef Anthony Bourdain said, “You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” For the chef, cooking and food were in line with being a craftsman and required practice, love and attention to detail. 

So, rather than snicker at those who have a fundamental gap in their understanding of dairy products, this butter recall may be a prime opportunity to build a bridge with someone new. By sharing something as basic as how to make butter and offering to do so with a person who has never done it before, a new supporter of the dairy industry might be made, along with a delicious food item.

A basic butter ingredients and recipe are as follows:

Ingredients

2.5 cups (600 grams) of heavy cream

A pinch of salt (if desired)

Methods for making butter

Jar method

Pour heavy cream (and salt, if desired) into a jar. Place a lid tightly on the jar and shake until the milk solids and liquids separate from one another. The “solids” are butter, the liquids can be discarded. The butter will last in the fridge for about three weeks. 

Mixer method

Pour heavy cream (and salt, if desired) into a mixing bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the cream until the milk solids and liquids separate from one another. The “solids” are butter, the liquids can be discarded. The butter will last in the fridge for about three weeks.