Vegebutter
How to make a tasty and healthy table spread in your own kitchen.(050113)

Please note: It may be necessary, depending on the season and local climate, to increase the Coconut oil by 10% and the Beeswax added by up to 100% to harden the consistency of the vegebutter. Its a matter of personal choice.

Please note: In this formula we have increased the Coconut oil and the Beeswax added to harden the consistency of the Vegebutter.

Please note: It may be necessary, depending on the season and local climate, to increase the Coconut oil by 10% and the Beeswax added by up to 100% to harden the consistency of the Vegebutter. Its a matter of personal choice.

Why Vegebutter?
There is now clear medical evidence that the fats and oils consumed in our diet are essential for maintaining health. It is also well established that heat, which is often used in the pressing of nut and seed oils and in their processing, changes the chemical structure of these oils often making them  toxic and detrimental to health.

The food processing industry is generally more focussed on profits than on health and there is much promotional miss-information around the healthiness of the processed fats and oils we buy and consume. (more information)

For those wishing for more information in this area, the book titled; "Fats that Heal Fats that Kill" by Udo Erasmus published by Alive Books ISBN 0-920470-38-6 is a good reference.

We at Pindari Herb Farm are dairy intolerant and as we did not wish to consume margarines and we enjoy a table spread, we started making our own. 

While it is best to obtain oils in our diet by eating fresh nuts and seeds, by carefully making a Vegebutter from freshly pressed and un-heated and unrefined vegetable oils you can have a healthy table spread that supplies oils essential for health. We thus set about making a table spread using Coconut oil and Beeswax as setting agents.

The popularity of our "Vegebutter" has been such that we are encouraged to pass on how to make this table spread.

Ingredients
The oils used within the ingredients listed above is but an example of what may be used. The opportunity of using different oils and waxes such as sunflower and safflower oils is enormous and the use of flavoursome oils such as pungent mustard seed oil as in Vegebutter - Savoury, can make a truly tasty delight.

It is important to balance the saturated and un-saturated oils in our diet for optimum health and it is the omega 3 and omega 6 un-saturated oils that are most lacking in our diets and that are most readily changed by heat and light.

So in making a Vegebutter the poly-unsaturated oils such as Sunflower, Safflower, and especially Flax seed oil that is very high in omega 3 oils, should be the major percentage of oils used. It is also most important to only used virgin/un-refined/un-heated oils.

But there is a need to use around 20% of saturated fats that are solid at room temperature in order to provide setting characteristics for the Vegebutter. The percentage used can be increased in warmer climates or if wishing for a more solid consistency.

We chose Coconut oil and Beeswax as setting fats. Unrefined Coconut oil has been consumed by many  Pacific Island cultures for centuries with no ill effects and Beeswax is consumed when eating honey in the comb, again with out ill effects. 

There is also a need for some of the oils used to contain Oleic acid as does Almond, Olive, Mustard and Flax seed oils. It is this fraction of those oils that the Calcium hydroxide in the lime reacts with, forming an emulsifying agent (Calcium oleate) which facilitates the incorporation of an aqueous component into the Vegebutter forming a stable emulsion.

Again it is stressed that the oils used need to be of the highest quality and freshness. Remember, any oils that have been heat treated commercially or that have otherwise oxidised may be detrimental to your health.

The Vegebutter regular is a simpler and less expensive recipe to make while the Vegebutter supreme, contains a healthier Poly-unsaturated to Saturated fatty acids ratio. 

Further points

Only obtain your oils from a quality health food supplier remembering that:

• The oils to be of the highest quality must be only cold pressed and labelled "virgin" or "unrefined." If they are not labelled so then they are very likely not to be so.
• They are better if they are organic and they should also be freshly prepared and stored/packaged in tin or dark glass in a refrigerator. Light increases the oxidation of vegetable oils by 1000 fold.
• Dairy butter may be used in place of Coconut oil and or Beeswax with the quantity used depending on the setting qualities required.
• The vitamin E may be obtained from natural vitamin E capsules either in 500iu or 1000iu strength.
• The salt is of personal choice, the better being either rock or sea salt.
• Vanilla essence is not essential and may be added at your discretion.
• The lime water is made by the addition of 1 tablespoonful of slake lime to around 4 litres of drinking water. Make in a narrow necked bottle, fill the bottle with water to 3/4 full and shake, then fill totally with water to limit contact with air and allow to sit overnight. Again gently shake the bottle to cause the water to go a little milky before measuring.
• Slake lime can be purchased from garden supply shops and in Australia, "Limil" is of sufficient quality that it is used in purification of drinking water and thus suitable for the use in this circumstance. Make sure the slake lime is suitable for human consumption.
• The Vegebutter that you make should be refrigerated at all times.
• If consuming Vegebutter regular, make sure your diet contains a good source of omega 3 oils.
• An over consumption is just that, and as fats and oils are very high in calories, it can lead to obesity.

Equipment

1. One stainless or enamel milk/tea jug with a narrow base and steep straight sides for ease of blending and pouring. (at least 2 litres but preferably 3 litres depending on the quantity being made.)
2. Two medium pots or bowls to be used as water baths. (1-2 litres capacity)
3. One large pot or bowl to be filled with cold water for placing the milk/tea jug in, to more quickly cool the Vegebutter mix.
4. Three smaller stainless or enamel jugs. (One approx. 300mL, one 1L and the other 1.5L)
5. A "Bamix" type stick blender and a pot scraper or spatula of sufficient size to reach to the bottom of the mixing jug.
6. Scales or a measuring method to suit. Remember you can measure by weight or by volume ( assume "gms" to be equal to "mls") but keep a record of what you do and vary your quantities according to taste and consistency.
7. A means of heating the water baths.

Safety

• Never place oils in any container directly onto heat. Always use a water bath and place the container to be heated only into this bath. This reduces the risk of fire and the potential to overheat the oils.
• Never over heat the oils greater than 100C. If you do, discard them and start again. 
• Keep your working and walking space clear and clean and avoid exposing your eyes and face to heated oils and water.
• Be aware of what you are doing and plan your procedures.

How to make

1. First measure the lime water and place this in the 1L jug and warm in the water bath
2. Then measure the salt into the 300mL jug and dissolve this in 4 times its weight of the partially warmed lime water. Warm this in the heated water baths.
3. Using the larger stainless jug (1.5L), measure and add the Coconut and Olive oils and Beeswax and place this in the other heated water bath. Apply heat to the water bath and mix until the beeswax has melted.
4. Add the remaining oils and vitamin E well mixed to the 1.5L jug and warm to no more than 50C or "hot to touch."
5. Take out of the water bath and with constant stirring add the warmed lime water excluding that with the dissolved salt.
6. Blend well with the stick blender but do not blend in air. The mix will "emulsify" going a butter colour and thickening. Blend further after adding Vanilla essence and then allow to stand for several minutes while the lime and the oils "react" to form a more stable emulsion.
7. Add this oil emulsion slowly to the hot beeswax/coconut oil mix. This will cool the beeswax mix and may even cause some of it to set on the sides of the vessel. Scrape this off and blend further. If needed apply a little heat by placing the jug back into a heated water bath and stir well but do not over heat.
8. Blend intermittently until the mix is just starting to set. Allowing to cool slowly is better but you can use a cold water bath to encourage cooling if needed. This will cause the Vegebutter to set on the sides of the vessel and this will need to be scraped off and remixed using a large spoon or spatula.
9. At around this time add the salts solution and blend in.
10. When the Vegebutter is of the consistency of thick cream pour it into your ready waiting light resistant containers, allow them to cool and then cap and label. Included a use by date that we suggest is between 3 and 6 months and keep in a refrigerator.

Flavouring

In making Vegebutter, the opportunity for using flavoursome oils infused with such herbs as garlic, marjoram, thyme, etc is enormous. Used along with flavoursome oils such as pungent mustard seed and sesame oil can turn the Vegebutter into a "savoury" delight.

Final comments
We at Pindari Herb Farm share this opportunity to make your own table spread in your home from your own choice of ingredients. We stress that with a little application and planning, it is easy to make and the opportunities for different recipes, enormous.

Good eating,

Ken and Giovi

Pindari Herb Farm, 200 Norwich Drive, Longford Tas. 7301 Australia
www.pindariherbfarm.com
Email
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