Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 552 Location: Central Kentucky
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:37 pm Post subject:
Welcome to the forums, Valouth.
Originally, buttermilk was just that; the whey that was left after the butterfat had been removed from milk by churning. True buttermilk is thin and tart, almost on the sour side. It was especially popular, as a drink, in the American South.
Modern buttermilk is made differently. Additives are use to sour the milk, and it's often thick; almost clotted cream-like in some cases.
The recipe you linked to should work, particularly for baking. Were it me, I'd start with a low-butterfat milk: 2% say, or even skimmed milk.
Note that if you start that recipe with whole milk, and let it stand any length of time, the curds and whey will separate. Skim the curds and you have the makings of a new cheese, and can still use the whey as a buttermilk substitute. Sort of a culinary double-dip.
Originally, buttermilk was just that; the whey that was left after the butterfat had been removed from milk by churning. True buttermilk is thin and tart, almost on the sour side. It was especially popular, as a drink, in the American South.
Modern buttermilk is made differently. Additives are use to sour the milk, and it's often thick; almost clotted cream-like in some cases.
The recipe you linked to should work, particularly for baking. Were it me, I'd start with a low-butterfat milk: 2% say, or even skimmed milk.
Note that if you start that recipe with whole milk, and let it stand any length of time, the curds and whey will separate. Skim the curds and you have the makings of a new cheese, and can still use the whey as a buttermilk substitute. Sort of a culinary double-dip.
That is really interesting! Thank you very much for your answer, it helps me a lot
Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Posts: 236 Location: Madison, WI
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 11:20 pm Post subject:
Welcome, Valerie. It seems like just yesterday that I made my first posting here, but I realize it has been at least 2 years now. Time goes fast when you are in good company.
Here in the U.S. buttermilk is widely available, so we can always buy it. I get it for cooking but also drink it. I have developed a liking for the tart taste.
However, buttermilk as it is currently available in the stores is basically a thin yogurt. Sometimes if I don't have buttermilk on hand and I do have kefir or pourable yogurt I use that instead. You can thin it down a little with milk. This works particularly well if you let it stand a bit. Buttermilk is generally used to add acidity to a recipe-- both for taste, and to interact with baking soda to make bread or cakes rise. That is why milk and a bit of vinegar work also.
Welcome, Valerie. It seems like just yesterday that I made my first posting here, but I realize it has been at least 2 years now. Time goes fast when you are in good company.
Here in the U.S. buttermilk is widely available, so we can always buy it. I get it for cooking but also drink it. I have developed a liking for the tart taste.
However, buttermilk as it is currently available in the stores is basically a thin yogurt. Sometimes if I don't have buttermilk on hand and I do have kefir or pourable yogurt I use that instead. You can thin it down a little with milk. This works particularly well if you let it stand a bit. Buttermilk is generally used to add acidity to a recipe-- both for taste, and to interact with baking soda to make bread or cakes rise. That is why milk and a bit of vinegar work also.
Dory
Really interesting Do you use yogurt with or without sugar?
Isn't vinegar too acid for a cake?
Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Posts: 236 Location: Madison, WI
Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:32 am Post subject:
Actually I have a nice chocolate cake recipe with vinegar and baking soda, but that's another story. You add vinegar to milk to sour it and also to provide the acidity that is missing if you don't have buttermilk. Drinkable yogurt-- such as kefir works because it has the same level of acidity as buttermilk. However, yogurt is less liquid than buttermilk-- even the pourable kind, so you either have to thin it with milk, or adjust the amount of liquid in the recipe (i.e. add a bit more liquid if the dough/batter looks too stiff-- perhaps by adding a bit of water or milk to your mixture until you get the right texture. Yogurt is basically very similar to buttermilk as it is now sold in the stores, but with a thicker texture, and, I assume, a slightly different culture added to sour it. However, I find different kinds of yogurt taste very different anyway, so the type of bacterial culture used to make it is probably not crucial.
Dory
P.S. Good luck with your baking. As you can tell, I am pretty experimental.
Actually I have a nice chocolate cake recipe with vinegar and baking soda, but that's another story. You add vinegar to milk to sour it and also to provide the acidity that is missing if you don't have buttermilk. Drinkable yogurt-- such as kefir works because it has the same level of acidity as buttermilk. However, yogurt is less liquid than buttermilk-- even the pourable kind, so you either have to thin it with milk, or adjust the amount of liquid in the recipe (i.e. add a bit more liquid if the dough/batter looks too stiff-- perhaps by adding a bit of water or milk to your mixture until you get the right texture. Yogurt is basically very similar to buttermilk as it is now sold in the stores, but with a thicker texture, and, I assume, a slightly different culture added to sour it. However, I find different kinds of yogurt taste very different anyway, so the type of bacterial culture used to make it is probably not crucial.
Dory
P.S. Good luck with your baking. As you can tell, I am pretty experimental.
Thanks so much for your answer As i never find buttermilk anywhere i will try a yogurt (or a bit a vinegar )
And yes, as we can tell you are pretty experimental hehe
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