Buttermilk
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| Buttermilk, low fat Nutritional value per 100 g |
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| Energy 40 kcal 170 kJ | ||||||||
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| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. |
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Buttermilk is the liquid left over after producing butter from full-cream milk during the churning process. It has a slightly sour taste. It is quite popular as a refreshment in Northern Europe and South Asia, particularly in Afghanistan, Punjab and the Pashtoon belt in Pakistan and in India. Many breads are made with buttermilk, and it is also used in creamy soups and sauces.
Most of the modern, commercially available, "buttermilk" in supermarkets is not genuine buttermilk, but rather cultured buttermilk, that is, milk to which lactic acid bacteria have been added to simulate the traditional product. The sour taste, or tartness of "cultured buttermilk" is a result of a fermentation process in which the bacteria turn lactose into lactic acid. As the pH drops in this reaction the milk becomes tart. At this point, casein, a milk protein, precipitates as it is no longer soluble under acidic conditions, causing what is called clabbering or curdling. The acidity of buttermilk inhibits bacterial growth, and this gives it a long refrigeration life. This process can be repeated when making sour cream with slight alterations.
Traditional buttermilk is quite different from cultured buttermilk: it is thin and slightly acidic, while cultured buttermilk is thick and tart. [1]
In baking, regular milk can be substituted for buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar or 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar per cup of regular milk. Allow the soured milk to stand for ten minutes before adding to recipes.[2] This method can be used with soy milk or rice milk for vegan/vegetarian consumption.
[edit] See also
- Whey, the liquid left over after producing cheese.
- Doogh, A popular yogurt drink of Iranian origin.
- Slappy Squirrel, a cartoon character who popularised Buttermilk in a Milk: It Does A Body Good parody.
