Learning how to make buttermilk can be easily done at home. What is usually considered buttermilk is actually cultured buttermilk. All that is needed to start is some active cultured buttermilk which can be purchased. Buttermilk is a fermented milk product that uses a starter bacteria, streptococcus lactis, to start the process by which milk sugar, or lactose, is turned into lactic acid.
When this fermentation occurs, the milk’s pH level drops, thereby causing the milk flavor to become tart. As the milk protein, casein moves apart, the milk clabbers. This clabbering is the distinctive thickened nature of buttermilk. Additionally, because of the acidity which is a natural preservative, buttermilk has a much longer shelf life.
Recipe for Buttermilk
To make cultured buttermilk at home:
- 6-8 ounces of active cultured buttermilk (check the label to be sure it says active cultured)
- 3 cups of whole milk (2% or fat free may be used but it will be less rich in flavor)
- 1 clean quart jar with a lid that secures
Add the 6-8 ounces of active cultured buttermilk (the bacterial starter) to the quart jar. Fill the rest of the jar with fresh milk. Secure the lid and shake the jar vigorously so as to completely mix its contents. Place the jar in a warm part of the room until the milk is clabbered. Clabbering should take about 24 hours. If it does not thicken in 36 hours, the bacteria most likely died down and were no longer active. In this case, the buttermilk can still be used for baking. When the buttermilk is clabbered, or thickened, it should coat the glass. Once thickening occurs, keep the buttermilk in the refrigerator. It should have a shelf life of several weeks.
How to Make Buttermilk
Making Buttermilk from Scratch
Making buttermilk from scratch can be easily accomplished. First, obtain some fresh filtered, raw milk. Place a cup of the raw milk out, at room temperature, for several days until it has clabbered, or thickened. Next, put a 1/4 cup of the clabbered milk in a pint jar and add a cup of fresh milk, secure the lid and shake to mix. Allow this jar to sit out at room temperature until clabbered. Continue this process (adding fresh milk to a 1/4 of clabbered milk) until the milk thickens within 24 hours. Then, sample the milk to be sure it has a tart taste with no odd after taste. To make a quart of buttermilk, take 6 ounces of the fresh culture and add 3 cups of milk to a clean quart jar, shake to mix, and allow to clabber at room temperature. Refrigerate.
Now, if a recipe is waiting and if time is of the essence, a buttermilk substitute is quickly made by placing 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Then, add enough milk to measure 1 cup. Let the mixture stand for five minutes. The substitute buttermilk will work well in most recipes.
Once the process of making buttermilk is broken down, it is obvious that the name “buttermilk” is somewhat of a misnomer. Most people may presume that buttermilk is a heavy, high fat product. The name derived from the liquid leftover from the butter churning process. This type of buttermilk is commonly known as old-fashioned buttermilk. The flavor tends to be slightly sour like yogurt. These days, buttermilk is cultured through the fermentation process as described earlier in this article. The optimum texture of buttermilk is thicker than fresh milk but not as thick as cream. Store-bought, cultured buttermilk often has added salt.
Finally, the health benefits of buttermilk are well known in fact and in lore. The Irish would use buttermilk as a hangover cure. American pioneer women would wash their faces with buttermilk to obtain a smooth complexion. Buttermilk is high in potassium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and calcium. It is also good for those with digestive problems. Furthermore, despite previous thoughts to the contrary, the lactic acid in cultured buttermilk is known to work against fatigue in athletic performance. For the frugal consumer, buttermilk is an easy homemade product worth reconsidering.
Related posts:
