butter sticks. In Florida, the butter was long and skinny sticks. Here in Texas, they're short and fat. I'm just curious to why there's a difference and which came first? And is there a dividing line somewhere in the country where the shape changes? They are still 4 oz sticks, just a different shape. But the funny thing is, the butter dishes I've seen here are still long and skinny. So what shape is the butter where you live?
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My question for the day...short and fat or long and skinny? What's with the differently shaped
- Thread starter curious1
- Start date
Here's some info form Widipedia
Size and shape of butter packaging
In the United States, butter is usually produced in 4-ounce sticks, wrapped in waxed or foiled paper and sold four to a one-pound carton. This practice is believed to have originated in 1907, when Swift and Company began packaging butter in this manner for mass distribution.(33)
Western-pack shape butter
Due to historical differences in butter printers (the machines which cut and package butter),(34) these sticks are commonly produced in two different shapes:
The dominant shape east of the Rocky Mountains is the Elgin, or Eastern-pack shape, named for a dairy in Elgin, Illinois. The sticks are 121 millimetres (4.8 in) long and 32 millimetres (1.3 in) wide and are typically sold stacked two by two in elongated cube-shaped boxes.(34)
West of the Rocky Mountains, butter printers standardized on a different shape that is now referred to as the Western-pack shape. These butter sticks are 80 millimetres (3.1 in) long and 38 millimetres (1.5 in) wide and are usually sold with four sticks packed side-by-side in a flat, rectangular box.(34)
Both sticks contain the same amount of butter, although most butter dishes are designed for Elgin-style butter sticks.(34)
The stick's wrapper is usually marked off as eight tablespoons (120 ml/4.2 imp fl oz; 4.1 US fl oz); the actual volume of one stick is approximately nine tablespoons (130 ml/4.6 imp fl oz; 4.4 US fl oz).
Elsewhere (outside the United States), butter is packaged and sold by weight only, not by volume (fluid measure) nor by unit (stick), but the package shape remains approximately the same. The wrapper is usually a foil and waxed-paper laminate (the waxed paper is now a siliconised substitute, but is still referred to in some places as parchment, from the wrapping used in past centuries; and the term 'parchment-wrapped' is still employed where the paper alone is used, without the foil laminate).
In the UK and Ireland, and in some other regions historically accustomed to using British measures, this was traditionally ½lb and 1 lb packs; since metrication, the pack sizes have remained the same because of consumer resistance, but they are labelled as 227g and 454g because EU food labelling law requires the use of metric units. In cooking (recipes), butter is specified and measured by weight only (grams or ounces); although melted butter could be measured by fluid measure (centiliters or fluid ounces), this is rare.
In the remainder of the metricated world, butter is packed and sold in 250g and 500g packs (roughly equivalent to the ½lb and 1 lb measures) and measured for cooking in grams or kilograms.
Butter for commercial and industrial use is packaged in plastic buckets, tubs, or drums, in quantities and units suited to the local market.
Size and shape of butter packaging
In the United States, butter is usually produced in 4-ounce sticks, wrapped in waxed or foiled paper and sold four to a one-pound carton. This practice is believed to have originated in 1907, when Swift and Company began packaging butter in this manner for mass distribution.(33)
Western-pack shape butter
Due to historical differences in butter printers (the machines which cut and package butter),(34) these sticks are commonly produced in two different shapes:
The dominant shape east of the Rocky Mountains is the Elgin, or Eastern-pack shape, named for a dairy in Elgin, Illinois. The sticks are 121 millimetres (4.8 in) long and 32 millimetres (1.3 in) wide and are typically sold stacked two by two in elongated cube-shaped boxes.(34)
West of the Rocky Mountains, butter printers standardized on a different shape that is now referred to as the Western-pack shape. These butter sticks are 80 millimetres (3.1 in) long and 38 millimetres (1.5 in) wide and are usually sold with four sticks packed side-by-side in a flat, rectangular box.(34)
Both sticks contain the same amount of butter, although most butter dishes are designed for Elgin-style butter sticks.(34)
The stick's wrapper is usually marked off as eight tablespoons (120 ml/4.2 imp fl oz; 4.1 US fl oz); the actual volume of one stick is approximately nine tablespoons (130 ml/4.6 imp fl oz; 4.4 US fl oz).
Elsewhere (outside the United States), butter is packaged and sold by weight only, not by volume (fluid measure) nor by unit (stick), but the package shape remains approximately the same. The wrapper is usually a foil and waxed-paper laminate (the waxed paper is now a siliconised substitute, but is still referred to in some places as parchment, from the wrapping used in past centuries; and the term 'parchment-wrapped' is still employed where the paper alone is used, without the foil laminate).
In the UK and Ireland, and in some other regions historically accustomed to using British measures, this was traditionally ½lb and 1 lb packs; since metrication, the pack sizes have remained the same because of consumer resistance, but they are labelled as 227g and 454g because EU food labelling law requires the use of metric units. In cooking (recipes), butter is specified and measured by weight only (grams or ounces); although melted butter could be measured by fluid measure (centiliters or fluid ounces), this is rare.
In the remainder of the metricated world, butter is packed and sold in 250g and 500g packs (roughly equivalent to the ½lb and 1 lb measures) and measured for cooking in grams or kilograms.
Butter for commercial and industrial use is packaged in plastic buckets, tubs, or drums, in quantities and units suited to the local market.
Big and clunky. Seems to be the direction in which I'm moving as well. There is
only one (maybe there's another that I don't know about) manufacturer that produced sticks here. They are almost $2 per pound more than the old regular 1 lb. block, that I don't see them in my fridge often.
only one (maybe there's another that I don't know about) manufacturer that produced sticks here. They are almost $2 per pound more than the old regular 1 lb. block, that I don't see them in my fridge often.
steve2-in-la
Well-known member
I was SO convinced we were talking body-types for a second there . . .
mariadnoca
Moderator
Short and fat. I used to be able to find long w/Land O Lakes but no more...
Once when I was at a Walmart I was thrilled to see long and skinny. We didn't have a Walmart till recently, and it's on the other side of town where I'm not going to drive for just butter. Don't know if they still have the long/skinny ones though.
I *hate* the short and fat as it's too tall for the butter dish handed down from mom.
Once when I was at a Walmart I was thrilled to see long and skinny. We didn't have a Walmart till recently, and it's on the other side of town where I'm not going to drive for just butter. Don't know if they still have the long/skinny ones though.
I *hate* the short and fat as it's too tall for the butter dish handed down from mom.
mariadnoca
Moderator
I cursed when our Land O Lakes got short & fat here. It was the reason I bought it.
I never saw short and fat in the States. OUrs are short and fat for the equivielent of 4 sticks but
they are in one piece bulk. They also come in
2 stick size short and skinny but again in bulk
I always add a bit to bring them up to the picture I have of a stick in the States. I have seen the ones like ours in Italy as well.
they are in one piece bulk. They also come in
2 stick size short and skinny but again in bulk
I always add a bit to bring them up to the picture I have of a stick in the States. I have seen the ones like ours in Italy as well.
mariadnoca
Moderator
It has up here. At least in the stores in my neck of the woods. A few yrs now smileys/frown.gif
mariadnoca
Moderator
That's a short/fat or cube of butter - see pix inside of a cube and a stick of butter
http://abc.eznettools.net/D302776/X333742//butter-cube-stick.jpg
http://abc.eznettools.net/D302776/X333742//butter-cube-stick.jpg