How To Make Buttermilk With Half And Half

Buttermilk is a funny thing. Many of our favorite food items—pancakes, biscuits—begin with "buttermilk." And even if you're the kind of foodie who has tons of food knowledge and can readily explain the difference between all the types of butter or you're willing to expound on what separates cider from apple juice, you may have trouble verbalizing what makes buttermilk different than regular milk. Sure, you know enough to buy it at the grocery when Smashed Buttermilk Potato Salad is on the menu, but if you were to be put on the spot, what do you really think buttermilk is? If you're tempted to say, "some secret concoction of butter mixed with milk," read on. (Spoiler alert: You're wrong.)

So what is buttermilk?

Real buttermilk in the liquid that is left after churning butter from cultured cream. But cultured buttermilk—the stuff that you find in the grocery store—is made by adding a bacteria culture to milk, either whole or low-fat, and heating it. It is then allowed to ferment for approximately 12 hours.

Can I make buttermilk?

Yes! You can absolutely make buttermilk by making butter from heavy cream. If you need a quick fix, stir 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or vinegar or 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar into milk. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes or so to allow the acid to curdle the milk slightly and the mixture to thicken. Then you're good to go!

What does buttermilk taste like?

Cultured buttermilk is thicker than regular milk, and it has a distinctive tang. Real buttermilk will be thinner and have a sweeter, more subtle flavor.

What's the difference between milk and buttermilk?

Cow's milk is a fresh dairy product. Buttermilk is a fermented liquid that's created by culturing and fermenting milk products or by straining off the liquid that results from churning butter.

What are the nutritional benefits of buttermilk?

Buttermilk is low in fat and contains more protein per cup than milk. It's also lower in calories than milk and high in calcium, vitamin B12, and potassium. And because it contains live cultures (similar to yogurt), it's more easily digestible than milk.

Where do you buy buttermilk?

Cultured Buttermilk for Cooking and Baking, Powdered

Look for cultured buttermilk in the dairy section of the grocery store, but finding "real" buttermilk might be more of a challenge. You can make your own by culturing cream and churning butter, though it will take about 1 gallon of cream to get a half-pint of buttermilk. If you live near a dairy farm that makes butter, they sometimes sell buttermilk in their dairy case. We also recommend checking for it at your local farmer's market.

How do you store buttermilk?

Make sure to keep buttermilk in the refrigerator. Because it is fermented and cultured, it tends to last quite a while—typically 1 to 2 weeks beyond the carton date. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. If you find that it's thick, chunky, or has visible mold, it's time to throw it out.

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How do you use buttermilk?

Buttermilk can be used in a variety of ways—both fresh or cooked. It's the base for America's favorite salad dressing: ranch! As mentioned above, you can also use it to bake up perfectly flaky biscuit or scones. Mix buttermilk into batter for pancakes or waffles. For savory applications, use it to marinade chicken, splash it into gravy for chicken fried steak, pour it in a cold cucumber soup, or sub it in for heavy cream in mashed potatoes.

What are some buttermilk substitutes?

Full-fat yogurt is a great substitute for buttermilk in cooked and uncooked recipes. It has a very similar flavor and consistency, so you should be fine using it in lieu of buttermilk in a pinch.

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What else can I make with buttermilk?

Honestly, the sky is the limit as far as recipes that are enhanced by buttermilk. But here are a few of our Country Living recipes that highlight buttermilk:

Put Your Buttermilk to Good Use

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