Buttermilk Culture
Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter is not made with cultured cream but sweet cream, most modern buttermilk is cultured. It is common in warm climates, where unrefrigerated fresh milk sours quickly.
Buttermilk can be drunk straight, and it can also be used in cooking.
In making soda bread, the acid in buttermilk reacts with the raising agent, sodium bicarbonate, to produce carbon dioxide which acts as the leavening agent. Buttermilk is also used in marination, especially of chicken and pork.
Although it looks and tastes rich and creamy, traditional churned buttermilk was always non-fat because all the fat wound up in the homemade butter. Our cultured buttermilk is made from whole milk and is full-fat.
Can you Drink Buttermilk?
Buttermilk is a prized Southern States of America ingredient, but it’s also a delicious beverage that’s good for us. It is a potent source of probiotics and active cultures found in natural yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchee, and other fermented foods that aid digestion and promote gut health. A glass of bedtime buttermilk has soothed the tummies of the dyspeptic and the frayed nerves of many a late-night reveller. A few sips calmed some things down and perked other things up.
How Long Does Buttermilk Last?
One of the charms of buttermilk is that it keeps longer than most other dairy products, plus it has myriad uses, so it’s not difficult to use it up. After a few days in the fridge, buttermilk separates into solids and whey, but if it comes back together when shaken, it’s usable, even if it’s a couple of days beyond the freshness date. Cultured products are forgiving.
Buttermilk freezes well, so there is no need to waste a drop. Just pour it into to containers the size you use most often in your favourite recipes, such as 250 mls or 125 mls, so that you don’t have to measure it again after thawing. If you’re not sure how you’ll use it later, freeze it in 1-tablespoon portions in ice cube trays so that you can pull out the number of cubes needed to add up to the amount called for in a future recipe. Thaw frozen buttermilk in the refrigerator overnight or on reduced power in the microwave.
How to Use Buttermilk
Some recipes offer substitutions for buttermilk, but the truth is that buttermilk’s signature cultures are what enable buttermilk to work culinary wonders in recipes.
So how can one use a fresh carton of buttermilk? Let us count at least 13 lucky ways:
Biscuits
Cornbread
Pancakes and waffles
Pound cake
Marinade for fried chicken
Brine for grilled skirt steak
Smoothies and milkshakes
Mashed potatoes or grits
Instead of coconut milk or cream in curries and soups
Chocolate cake
Muffins
Creamy salad dressing
Refreshing beverage
The cost of the Buttermilk Culture is £9.70, which includes FREE shipping Worldwide.