Trader Joe’s is a popular grocery store chain known for its unique and affordable food products. One of their most popular items is Trader Joe’s butter. With its quality taste and reasonable price, Trader Joe’s butter has become a staple in many kitchens. But where exactly does this delicious butter come from?
The History of Trader Joe’s Butter
Trader Joe’s first opened in 1967 in Pasadena, California by founder Joe Coulombe. The store was known as Pronto Markets originally but was renamed Trader Joe’s in the 1970s. Trader Joe’s began expanding nationally in the 1990s and 2000s. Today there are over 500 Trader Joe’s locations across the United States.
Butter has been a Trader Joe’s product since the very beginning. In the early days, Trader Joe’s sourced their butter from local dairy farms and creameries in California. As the company grew, they began working with additional suppliers while maintaining their commitment to quality.
Over the decades, Trader Joe’s butter has maintained its delicious taste and texture that customers love. Even as ingredient sourcing has evolved, Trader Joe’s has ensured each new supplier meets their high standards for butter.
Where Trader Joe’s Sources Their Butter Today
In 2023, Trader Joe’s butter comes from a few different sources:
Keller’s Creamery
This family-owned creamery located in Vermont has been producing butter for Trader Joe’s for over 10 years. Keller’s uses fresh cream from Vermont family dairy farms to handcraft each batch of European-style cultured butter.
Prairie Farms
Prairie Farms is a dairy cooperative founded in Illinois in 1938. They provide Trader Joe’s with butter made from Midwest milk. Prairie Farms emphasizes minimal processing so the natural butter flavor shines through.
California Dairies
Trader Joe’s also sources from member-owned cooperative California Dairies, Inc. With butter production facilities in California’s dairy regions, they can deliver fresh in-state butter direct to Trader Joe’s locations.
Other Regional Creameries
To meet demand, Trader Joe’s also partners with small regional creameries near clusters of stores. This allows for ultra-local butter at certain Trader Joe’s locations. For example, stores in the Pacific Northwest may be stocked with butter from Portland creameries.
Sourcing from different dairies across the country ensures Trader Joe’s always has a steady supply of butter on hand to meet customer needs. But each dairy must meet Trader Joe’s selective quality standards.
Trader Joe’s Butter Quality Standards
So what makes Trader Joe’s butter so delicious? Trader Joe’s maintains strict quality standards for all their butter suppliers:
- Cows must be given a high-quality, non-GMO diet from family farms.
- Butter is produced in small batches for consistent quality.
- Only fresh pasteurized cream is used, no frozen cream.
- Butter is cultured for rich flavor.
- No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives are added.
- Final products are rigorously tasted and inspected.
These standards mean that Trader Joe’s butter boasts an old-fashioned homemade flavor. The taste is fresh, creamy, and wholesome in every bite.
Types of Trader Joe’s Butter
Trader Joe’s sells both salted and unsalted butter varieties:
Trader Joe’s Salted Butter
Trader Joe’s salted butter contains only pure cream and natural sea salt. It has a slightly higher butterfat content than some grocery store brands at 86%. The sprinkle of mineral-rich sea salt adds a subtle briny flavor that enhances the creamy butter notes.
Trader Joe’s Unsalted Butter
Those looking for unsalted butter can find 84% butterfat cultured cream butter at Trader Joe’s. With no extra salt added, the fresh dairy flavor of this European-style butter shines through. The high butterfat percentage ensures a rich mouthfeel.
| Butter Type | Fat Percentage | Added Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Salted | 86% | Sea Salt |
| Unsalted | 84% | None |
Benefits of Trader Joe’s Butter
So why do customers love Trader Joe’s butter so much? Here are some of the benefits Trader Joe’s butter offers:
- Affordable – Prices are low year-round at just $3.49 per pack.
- Quality – Made from pure cream with no additives.
- Freshness – Churned in small batches and delivered promptly.
- Taste – Cultured for a creamy, rich butter flavor.
- Convenience – Easy to find at any Trader Joe’s location.
- Reliability – Stringent standards ensure consistent quality.
- Ethics – Supports small family farms and creameries.
The combination of buttery taste and affordable price point makes Trader Joe’s butter hard to beat.
How to Select the Best Trader Joe’s Butter
To ensure freshness, check butter packaging when shopping at Trader Joe’s:
- Examine “sell by” or expiration date.
- Opt for butter sticks with latest dates.
- Make sure packaging is well sealed.
- Avoid butter if packaging looks damaged.
Properly stored butter will maintain quality for at least 3 weeks past the sell by date. For best results, use butter within a few days of opening the package.
How to Store Trader Joe’s Butter
To keep your Trader Joe’s butter fresh at home:
- Refrigerate butter immediately.
- Store sticks in original packaging.
- Place butter at back of refrigerator, not the door.
- If possible, keep butter in a butter dish or covered container.
- Let refrigerator-chilled butter soften at room temp before use.
With proper refrigeration, unopened Trader Joe’s butter stays fresh for 1 month past the sell by date. Opened butter sticks are best used within 1-2 weeks.
Tips for Cooking with Trader Joe’s Butter
The quality of Trader Joe’s butter makes it ideal for cooking. Here are chef tips for getting the most out of this butter:
- Bake with it – Trader Joe’s butter performs well in cookies, cakes, pie crusts, and pastries.
- Sauté with it – The butter browns beautifully and adds great flavor to sautéed veggies or meats.
- Spread it cold – The firm texture makes it easy to spread on bread or toast straight from the fridge.
- Blend it – Whip room temperature Trader Joe’s butter into frostings and sauces for a silky smooth texture.
Both the salted and unsalted varieties can be used in cooking and baking recipes as needed. Let butter soften to room temperature before creaming for the fluffiest baked goods. When baking, you can reduce salt in recipes when using Trader Joe’s salted butter.
Trader Joe’s Butter Recipes to Try
Trader Joe’s butter adds indulgent flavor to all kinds of dishes. Here are some great recipes to try with Trader Joe’s butter:
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Combine Trader Joe’s whole milk ricotta and lemon zest in fluffy pancakes cooked in melted butter.
Parmesan Cauliflower Gratin
Roast cauliflower florets in brown butter then bake with Parmesan until golden and bubbly.
Butternut Squash Carbonara
Make a fall carbonara with roasted butternut squash and Trader Joe’s pancetta stirred into hot buttered pasta.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mix Trader Joe’s fleur de sel caramel sauce into cookie dough for a perfectly salty-sweet treat.
Lobster Rolls
Serve tender lobster meat drizzled with melted butter in split-top brioche rolls.
The possibilities are endless with high-quality Trader Joe’s butter!
Conclusion
With its pure flavor, affordable price, and reliable quality, it’s easy to see why Trader Joe’s butter has achieved cult favorite status. Sourced from small trusted creameries and dairies across the country, each stick delivers the irresistible taste and texture that butters lovers crave. So next time you need an ingredient to add indulgence to cooking, baking, and bread spreading, you can feel good choosing the Trader Joe’s butter route.