The Benefits Of Learning How To Make Buttermilk

Once you have used buttermilk in one of your recipes, you will love the richness it adds to foods as well as the flavor that complements anything sweet. For this reason, it is seen as a staple ingredient in the kitchens of many folks who love to cook, but it has many other uses and benefits, too. If you simply learn how to make buttermilk, you will find that it is cost-efficient and has many, many uses.

This product is extremely easy to make and requires merely two ingredients: whole milk and cream of tartar. Sometimes, cream of tartar is difficult to get your hands on--if this is the case, do not fret. Lemon juice is an ample replacement and can be used in the same proportions. For each cup of whole milk that is poured into a bowl, stir in one tablespoon of the cream of tartar or lemon juice, and allow the solution to sit out for fifteen minutes.

It is safe to leave the substance out at room temperature for some time, but be aware that it will begin to curdle. This chemical reaction, in this case, does not mean your mixture is ruined. Giving it another good stir will break up any solids and make it fit for consumption again. When finished using it, merely put it in the fridge--you will learn that it will not go bad for multiple weeks, a much longer shelf-life than that of milk.

Traditional and commercial buttermilk are two different substances and are not interchangeable in cooking. The traditional variety is the thin liquid left over after churning butter and is more popular in Asia than in Western societies. It is added to a number of Eastern dishes to give them a bit more flavor and richness, and is commonly used as the base in soups and creamier sauces.

The commercial "cultured" buttermilk is made by turning milk sugars into lactic acid via active fermentation. It is very acidic and much thicker than its traditional counterpart. Recently, salad dressings made from this substance have become increasingly popular. Most Westerners are familiar with it, though, because of its use in pancakes, breads, and other sweet dishes and desserts.

If you learn the simple process of how to make buttermilk, you will find advancement in the threshold of your cooking and that lots of money has been saved. Since it comes in a small container, it is often more expensive per gallon than regular milk to purchase, but making it is relatively cheap. All the different foods that can be made with this dairy product are delicious, and the possibilities are limitless.