Buttermilk
Let's make some super easy buttermilk.
HERE’S HOW IT WILL GO
You’ll add a ½ c of buttermilk culture to 3 ½ c pasteurized milk
Then set it on the counter and wait for 24 hrs.
That final product it BUTTERMILK
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
3 ½ cups pasteurized milk at room temp
Buttermilk Culture pack or ½ c buttermilk from the store with
“Added cultures”
1 Quart Clean glass jar with a canning ring
A whisk
Towel to pick up dripples
Funnel
4”x4” square of cheese cloth
A 1 cup jar with a lid
Permanent marker
Thermometer
Some Patients
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK
Skim the cream if using cream line milk
Bring milk and buttermilk culture to room temp about 65F
Pour 3 ½ C skimmed milk into quart jar
Pour ½ cup buttermilk starter into the quart jar with the milk
Whisk together, it will settle to the bottom if you don't
Put a 4”x4” cheesecloth over the top with a canning ring to hold in place
Label contents & date
Set on counter out of direct sunlight for 12- 24 hrs 65F-90F
Check it every 6hrs our so and notice the difference as it starts to ferment
Smell and look at it, when it has thickened to your desire you now have buttermilk
Set aside a new starter and remember to label. (This is very important. Don’t end up like me and have your husband use the last of the buttermilk in our smoothies. Then you’re stuck having to start another batch from an outside culture)
Place both in the refrigerator
Refresh every 2 weeks using the starter batch. (Over time the buttermilk loses it umph. After 2 weeks you may have a hard time starting a new culture without leaving it out for a long time)
WHY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK
-It’s a mesophilic cultured milk and you can use it to start making cheese. (Mesophilic starts to activate at room temps unlike Thermophilic cultures which require heat to activate. This makes buttermilk a great homesteading and practical way to start cheeses.)
-Use it in baking. The lactic acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking powder creating a light and fluffy batter.
-Brine for chicken (The fast growing chickens that we get from the store nowadays don’t really need any tenderizing. The breasts are as big as turkey breasts I swear. But if you buy local pasture raised healthy chicken you may want to consider putting your chicken into a buttermilk brine to help tenderize it because it’s more like the old style chickens we used to get)
1 quart buttermilk
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Whole chicken and/or chicken pieces
-Dressings or dips like buttermilk ranch
-In a thirst quencher smoothie.
Add some ice, grape juice, some buttermilk, berries, and honey.
-Replace milk in recipes.
-It can extend the life of your Raw Milk. (If you have some extra raw milk that is starting to sour in the back of the fridge you can always start a batch of buttermilk and get another 2 weeks out of your milk!)
-If you still have extras you can always freeze it using ice cube trays for future use. (It wont unfreeze and be a drink, but it will work great in all recipes and smoothies)
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF BUTTERMILK?
Buttermilk originally was the byproduct of making butter.
This is called old fashioned buttermilk or sweet buttermilk
It’s mostly some whey, skimmed milk, and small chunks of butter.
People have used this “old fashioned” buttermilk over the years to add to side dishes like mashed potatoes or soups.
The problem is that with this type of buttermilk, it goes bad fairly quickly. If it’s not used up in a couple of hours it’s best to just toss it to the chickens or put it in the garden.
Modern day buttermilk, which is what we are working with, is started with a culture.
You can use fresh buttermilk from the store that contains “active cultures” or purchase the starter from New England Cheesemaking Supply Company.
Then you can refresh your buttermilk every 2 weeks using the starter you set aside so you don’t have to keep buying a new starter.
You can use your buttermilk for starting sour cream, cottage cheese, and even Ricotta.
Some folks even enjoy just drinking it plain.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF BUTTERMILK
It quickly cools down our bodies.
Top a glass with cumin seeds, mint and salt, and it will quench your thirst and cool your body in the summer heat.
A glass of buttermilk can also provide relief to folks who experience hot flashes.
It can prevent dehydration. Its mostly water and electrolytes like potassium and magnesium .
a small amount of buttermilk each day can help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels
The lactic acid in buttermilk normalizes the acidity in the stomach and gives a soothing effect. A glass of buttermilk topped with black pepper and coriander instantly eases acid reflux.
Buttermilk also strengthens the immune system and prevents some infections.
People who have lactose intolerance may find buttermilk easier than standard pasteurized milk to digest. When we make buttermilk we add in bacteria that break down and digest lactose in the milk. This bacteria converts lactose into lactic acid, lowering the total amount of lactose.
NOTES ABOUT MAKING BUTTERMILK
Use very clean utensils with making any culture
Make sure to use pasteurized milk for this.
Even if you purchase your milk from the store. You need the milk to be as sterile as possible in order to make that consistently good buttermilk.
You can easily make buttermilk without pasteurizing safe Raw Milk. But the flavor will be a little different and you may not get as good of a culture and the final products won’t be consistent.
This is because the good bacteria in Raw Milk can actually kill off some of the culture that we are introducing.
When we start off with pasteurized milk the culture we are making is going to dominate in the milk and it will prevent an off flavor from accouring.
You’ll also want to “re” pasteurized the milk from the store.
You can make buttermilk with any type of milk. Goat, camel, 2%, to skim.
If you make it with cream it will become sour cream eventually
Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk to make buttermilk.
Store your buttermilk for up to 2 weeks.
You can make buttermilk cheese with it really easy and without much effort if you have more than you can handle.
Use your buttermilk in a replacement for all milk in recipes. Even smoothies, mash potatoes, and buttermilk pancakes. It will add a wonderful flavor and those awesome health benefits.
WHAT’S THE BEST DISH TO USE BUTTERMILK WITH?
Buttermilk Pound Cake
It was a HUGE HIT at my Grandmother's 88th birthday potluck.
Here is the recipe for 2 loaves
1 cup Butter, Unsalted, Room temperature
2 1/2 cups Granulated sugar
4 Eggs, Large
2 tsp Vanilla extract
3 cups All-purpose flour
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1 cup Buttermilk
Grease 2 (8x4) loaf pans then lightly flower.
Turn the oven on to preheat @ 325.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar for 6 mins on med/high
Add eggs 1 @ a time and the vanilla extract and mix until smooth. (don’t over mix)
In a separate bowl, blend the flour and baking soda.
Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, alternating inbetween with buttermilk until just combined.
Pour batter into loaf pans. Use a spoon to evenly spread out.
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
½ way into baking, rotate the pan to ensure even browning.
Allow the cakes to cool down for 10 minutes. Then, remove them from the pans and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
Enjoy right away or cover in saran wrap and chill in the fridge overnight.
Thank you for learning about buttermilk
Feel free to let me know about your experience with buttermilk.
I would also love to hear about your results and what you are doing with your buttermilk.
