IS it ok to use cheap margarine instead of butter?

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sue119, May 22, 6:02pm
Does it alter the results or taste at all? I want to bake more but the price of butter puts me off. Tia
davidt4, May 22, 6:06pm
I would never use margarine of any kind. It tastes awful.
holly-rocks, May 22, 6:11pm
I would never use margarine either. Its disgusting. I freaked out when i did some research on what goes into marg. Never ever again. I would just stock up when butters on special.
245sam, May 22, 6:19pm
Unless there are health / dietary reasons for not using butter IMO butter is the only choice. Taking into account the time and power cost involved, I believe that if it's worthwhile doing the baking, the only option is to use ingredients that will give the best possible result. Like holly-rocks I buy butter when it is on special, remembering that any excess can if necessary be frozen until needed. :-))

Edited to add that if freezing butter, IMO it is best to first cut the block into useable pieces. :-))
cgvl, May 22, 8:54pm
I have used marg for baking but not the really cheap ones (eg Pams). Meadowlea or Flora yes. Taste wise no real difference and of course so much easier to cream, as to texture and results it works or seems to exactly the same IMO.
However I do prefer to use butter but not all of us can afford butter in this day and age, budgets etc mean often using marg as much as I detest the stuff.
sue119, May 22, 9:08pm
Thanks all. Wasn't so much asking if you like marg or not, was asking if it worked in recipes. I only use olive oil based margarine or butter, but I thought since I bake for a large family that marg might be the way to go, otherwise its economical just to buy my biscuits etc at couplands or the like. Not that I cannot afford it, I choose to shop smart. Thanks all
fishplants, May 23, 12:42am
Good butter (in foil rather than paper - so it is not rancid when you buy it) costs about 3 dollars per 500g on special - which is when I buy it and then freeze immediately. It will keep for over a year.

If you bake with marg - that is how the baking will taste - of marg . if you bake with fresh tasting great grass fed NZ butter - then that is what your baking will taste like :)

If you do not want to use fat in baking then learn to make yeast doughs - lovely loafs or filled strudels can be made with just flour, milk, sugar and yeast. They taste better when eaten within a day or two - so if you want to keep them for any amount of time either freeze or make small portions.

Happy baking.
awoftam, May 23, 12:59am
I don't see how being aware of what is actually in food and choosing to eat well and healthily is being a food snob. The oils in most margs are hideously bad for you. Education beats ignorance every time in my book.
sarahb5, May 23, 1:17am
Yes it alters the taste and doesn't work for everything because once it's melted it doesn't reset properly again - you can't make pate with marg for example. In the UK you can buy marg specifically produced for baking and it comes in a block like butter - I think you can get something similar here now possibly, I think its Meadowlea.
antoniab, May 23, 1:20am
Have to agree with the others - we don't use it (mainly taste and palm oil factor) but I have tried to substitute in the past and found it doesn't work well unless the recipe specifically says you can sub.
Speaking of shopping smart - CD had a sale of export butter last week - unsalted for only $3.50 a 500g pack. That is way cheaper than you can ever find unsalted usually so I stocked up
maximus44, May 23, 1:48am
I always use butter. Buy 500g a week or more it it's on special.
bronglen, May 23, 1:52am
I use margarine for all cakes, biscuits and muffins. I can't taste any different, and my family eat them just the same.
willyow, May 23, 1:52am
Vegetable oils are mostly unsaturated, which is a problem because unsaturated oils are liquid at room temperature and cannot be used as spreads.
To remedy this problem, the vegetable oils are subjected to a hydrogenation process. This involves exposing the oils to high heat, high pressure, hydrogen gas and a metal catalyst.
This process prolongs the shelf life of the products and makes them harder at room temperature. Hydrogenation makes unsaturated fats resemble saturated fats.
Hydrogenated fats are also known as trans fats, which are highly toxic and strongly associated with heart disease .

Historically, margarine used to be loaded with trans fats. Today there are some trans-fat free varieties available.
But even though a margarine is genuinely trans-fat free, it can still be bad for you.
The vegetable oils used in them, such as soybean and safflower oil, may be seriously harmful on their own.
These types of oils are the biggest sources of polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty acids in the diet, which we’re already eating too much of
Several studies link excess consumption of polyunsaturated vegetable oils with heart disease.
However imho things taste a hellovalot better if they gave butter in them instead of marg - and saturated fats in small quantities are OK as I reckon we are a dairy country and should also support our local farmers - not some faceless multinational telling us their unhealthy fake butter is not harmful.
paora-tm, May 23, 1:57am
I buy the 'buttery' ones - usually Meadowlea but last time I went to buy it my local Countdown had it priced a lot higher than usual for some reason so I bought Flora Buttery instead. I think the monkeys at my local Countdown made an error because I see the online price is back to normal. It's not butter but the taste is tolerable. :)
awoftam, May 23, 1:57am
Omega 6 depletes bone density. Hence the increase in people needing Omega 3 supplements.
willyow, May 23, 1:58am
This is a subject quite close to my heart ( literally) - I have five stents holding my arteries open.
awoftam, May 23, 2:06am
Oh wow.

There is so much misinformation around with food. Unless you look to educate yourself via reading and some research you are a bit buggered really. I see phrases like "It's low G"' flung about with gay abandon by people who obviously don't understand how this actually works - they just think they do as they believe what they read in a magazine or on a food label. Not their fault. The food industry has a lot to answer for.
cjdnzl, May 23, 2:33am
I have 5 also thanks to a 5-year stint on margarine. I now use only Mainland butter in foil and will not eat commercial food like pies and pastries, all of which are full of marg.
duckmoon, May 23, 2:38am
i wait for butter to be on sale

saw it recent from $2.90 (for a good brand, something like Anchor or Tararua)
sarahb5, May 23, 2:59am
This - always buy butter on special $3 a block - it keeps for ages but can also be frozen
susievb, May 23, 2:51pm
I have no problem with using cheap marge in cooking, but most of the time I use canola oil instead. Maybe my taste buds are not as refined as some others but I can't taste or notice any difference.
buckyboy, May 23, 3:18pm
plasticfantastic is no good for anything let alone baking
vmax2, May 23, 5:49pm
Agree. Why would anyone want to use margarine or canola oil. That isn't food but ultra processed rubbish.
kay141, May 23, 6:07pm
Maybe because of the price. Butter and all dairy products have dramatically gone up in price lately. Not everyone can afford that.
bedazzledjewels, May 23, 6:12pm
There are always some butter brands on special though. Just buy ahead and freeze.