Buttermilk

Let's talk for a bit about buttermilk.

Firstly, when milk is churned into butter, the liquid left behind is called buttermilk. It is a liquid mostly devoid of fat, thus putting to bed the opinion that buttermilk is high in fat. Just not so.

Secondly, the buttermilk we buy at the grocery store is not the kind of buttermilk left from churning butter, but a more interesting variety involving a microbial culture, more similar to yogourt. 

Third, I'm sure I'm not the only one who notices that often, when we have a recipe requiring buttermilk, there isn't any in the fridge. And how often have we looked at the buttermilk in the grocery store (at least where I live) sold only in 1-litre containers, and thought about how much of it might be wasted.

Fourth, you may already be shouting at me that having no buttermilk on hand is not a problem, since there is an easy substitute: 

Place 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar into a 1 cup measure, then fill it up with milk, any % milk fat will do. Let sit for 5 minutes, then use in your recipe in place of buttermilk.

While this substitution is very handy and I've used it multiples of times in the last 56+ years, it's not an ideal solution because it lacks the lovely flavour of real buttermilk.

I have just recently come upon a MONUMENTAL LIFE-CHANGING KITCHEN TIP!! I'm going to share it with you. 

One thing about store-bought buttermilk that you may notice right off the bat is that it has a long shelf-life. Once home in your fridge, buttermilk is likely still good even a week or two past the best before date on the carton. 

But, and here is the life-changing information, did you know that you can make this commercial buttermilk last forever? In your own kitchen?

All you have to do is this:

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Place 1/2 cup of store-bought buttermilk in a clean container such as a Bernardin jar. Add 2 cups of milk and a pinch of salt and stir well or put the lid on and shake. Leave the jar to sit (I left the lid off and covered it with a paper towel + elastic band) on your kitchen counter for 24 hours and then, magically, the mixture will have thickened and become BUTTERMILK!! Now, lid on and store in the refrigerator. I date mine to keep track of how old it is.

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For easy reference, the proportions are:

1 part buttermilk: 4 parts milk, any variety 

plus 1/8 tsp Kosher salt for each cup of milk used.

This homemade buttermilk is even better than the commercial variety. It's thick and gloppy and has a delicate flavour that tastes great. It will last several weeks in your fridge and before it dies a natural death, you can propagate it anew. In other words, it will last forever and you'll never have to buy buttermilk again.

🙋

Health Benefits of Buttermilk: 

Besides all the benefits of the vitamins and minerals found in dairy products that support healthy bones, cultured buttermilk contains bacteria in the same way that other fermented dairy products such as yogourt and kefir do. These microbes promote a healthy gut by supporting its microbiome. The lactic acid present in cultured buttermilk, formed by the result of bacteria fermenting the lactose in milk, increases its acidity, making it more digestible than regular milk and also extends its shelf life. Other possible benefits include improved blood pressure and oral health.

Uses:

What to use all this buttermilk for? Baking muffins, biscuits, scones and pancakes, using in batters, salad dressings and soups. Try mashing your potatoes using buttermilk. The other day I make a beautiful puréed parsnip soup that benefited highly from a swirl of buttermilk on top just before serving. And finally, use it to make more buttermilk.

Recipes:

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

·        2 cups all-purpose flour

·        2 tsp baking powder

·        1 tsp baking soda

·        ½ tsp salt

·        3 tbsp sugar

·        2 large eggs, lightly beaten

·        3 cups buttermilk

·        4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1.       Heat griddle to 375F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, and butter until combined. The batter should still be slightly lumpy.

2.       Grease the griddle with butter. Using a ½-cup scoop, pour the pancake batter onto the griddle, leaving about 2 inches in-between pancakes. When pancakes start to have bubbles in the center and the outsides start to look a bit dry, flip. Cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute.

3.       Repeat until all of the batter is used up. Serve with maple syrup.

Notes

Recipe from Martha Stewart and Joanne Eats Well with Others

Serving size: 3-4 pancakes

(the two pancakes in the photo above were the last bit of pancake batter and I added half a banana mashed up to it - yum!)

Cranberry Orange Scones

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

3 tbsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

5 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup buttermilk, with an additional 2-3 tbsp if necessary

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest.
2. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in dried cranberries.
3. Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Use a little more buttermilk if dough is too dry to come together.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Shape into an 8-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet. Cut circle into 8 wedges, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. (To prevent sticking, dust knife with flour)
5. Bake until golden, 18 - 20 minutes.

Recipe from Martha Stewart