Better Butter: How Minerva Dairy Butter Is Made
Ever wonder how better butter is made? As America’s oldest family-owned creamery, we have six generations of butter fanatics under our belts. That means we know a thing or two about the butter-making biz—it’s in our blood!
The Butter-Making Experts
We make better butter because we’re simply better at making butter. After 125 years in the industry, how could we not be?
Our journey began in 1894 when Max P. Radloff founded Radloff Cheese in Hustiford, Wisconsin. By the early 1900s, Max expanded the business, opening multiple cheesemaking locations. In 1935, he launched Minerva Dairy in Minerva, Ohio, producing bottled milk, ice cream, butter, and cheese.
One of our favorite (and most dramatic!) stories from our history is the forbidden love story of Max’s grandchildren: Lorraine Radloff and Delbert Mueller.
A Love Story & A Dairy Legacy
In the 1930s, Lorraine and Delbert—both born into dairy-making families—fell in love. But there was one big problem: their families were direct competitors. Rumor has it that the Muellers even set fire to one of the Radloff facilities! But love (and butter) always wins. Lorraine and Delbert married despite the family rivalry and started their own butter paradise in Minerva, OH.
Their story shaped Minerva Dairy into what it is today: America’s oldest family-owned cheese and butter dairy, still committed to producing 85% batch-churned Amish butter and high-quality cheese varieties.
What Makes Minerva Butter Better?
At Minerva Dairy, we stick to our roots by prioritizing quality and purity in our butter:
- No artificial ingredients
- GMO-free, antibiotic-free & gluten-free
- Free of synthetic hormones (rBST-free)
Our farmers are committed to producing high-quality milk from pasture-raised cows on local, American family-owned farms. Happy cows grazing in green pastures mean richer, more flavorful butter.
The Secret: 85% Butterfat
Our customers always ask, “What makes your butter taste sooo good?” The answer: 85% butterfat—a tradition we’ve carried on for 125 years!
Small-Batch, Slow-Churned Perfection
Since 1894, our family has made butter the same way:
- It all started with a 100-gallon wooden churn, producing 400 pounds per batch.
- During World War II, food rationing required butter to be portioned more precisely. We adapted, using the Amish’s hand butter-rolling technique to form perfect 2-pound rolls.
- Today, we still make our butter in small, slow-churned batches, ensuring unmatched creaminess and flavor.
We currently offer our 85% butterfat butter in:
🧈 2-pound rolls
🧈 8-ounce quarter sticks
At Minerva Dairy, we believe that butter made better makes better butter—and we’ve spent six generations proving it.
Discover More Delicious Recipes!
We hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at our butter-making process! Ready to put our better butter to the test? Check out our recipes to create the perfect meal. Be sure to keep up with our latest creations through our Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram page and our top tips through our blogs.
