Buttermilk

Guide Note

Buttermilk is fermented cow's milk with a distinctly sour taste.

Fast Facts

1. Contains no butter
2. Thicker than milk
3. Lower fat than whole milk
4. Tastes like yogurt
5. Spoiled buttermilk: Separated and chunky
6. "Artificial buttermilk" now called "cultured buttermilk"

1. Traditional buttermilk: Leftover liquid after churning butter
2. Cultured buttermilk: Lactic acid bacteria added
3. Acidified buttermilk: Food-grade acid added

Short on buttermilk? Stir one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar or 1.75 tablespoons of cream of tartar into whole milk, and it will make an effective substitute. Another possible substitute for a cup of buttermilk is a mix of 3/4 cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup of milk.

Buttermilk was once the leftover liquid from butter-making. It is quite different from modern buttermilk. Now buttermilk is generally produced by adding a bacterial culture to milk, similar to how yogurt or sour cream are made. The bacteria turn the lactose in the milk into lactic acid. If you add one part fresh buttermilk to four parts regular milk and leave the milk in a warm area, the regular milk should become buttermilk in a day or two.