A Butter Shortage Threatens To Put A Damper On Holiday Baking
As you start to plan those Thanksgiving sides and ponder which dessert you'd like to make for the holidays, there's a butter shortage that could put a damper on holiday baking. According to a story in The Wall Street Journal, a tight dairy supply is continuing to increase prices on baking essentials like butter.
A quick visit to the supermarket makes it clear that inflation has certainly affected grocery prices, but butter prices in particular have seen drastic increases due to availability.
The Wall Street Journal reports that in the past year, the price of butter has gone up 24.6 percent. That number becomes even more jaw-dropping when you compare it to the increase of U.S. grocery prices overall, which has increased 13.5 percent over the same time period.
And even though our favorite holiday cakes and other Thanksgiving treats are loaded with butter, the product actually ranks pretty low on the dairy totem pole. Milk, ice cream, and cheese are all given priority over butter when it comes to production. This is just one of many reasons why the U.S. has the lowest amount of butter in storage facilities since 2017.
Fortunately, dairy processors are hard at work trying to find ways to increase the amount of butter they're able to produce. "We want to run the assets we have harder when we can get more milk off farm," said Joe Coote, chief executive of the Washington-based dairy company Darigold Inc, while speaking with The Wall Street Journal.
For crafty cooks, the shortage opens the door to plenty of butter alternatives. Among the most popular substitutes are olive oil, vegetable shortening, mayonnaise, and vegan butter.
You Might Also Like
