Neglecting to purchase buttermilk or unwilling to buy an entire carton for a modest quantity? Discover how to create buttermilk using only two basic ingredients.
Inadvertently omitting buttermilk from your purchasing list? Alternatively, do you hesitate to purchase a container for a recipe that calls for only half a cup? You are not alone; in fact, the easy way to make your own is encouraging. The method for producing buttermilk is straightforward. It requires only two ingredients, both of which you probably already possess in your kitchen.
BUTTERMILK
Historically, the fermented liquid remaining after cream was churned into butter was known as buttermilk. Presently, buttermilk available in supermarkets is simply ordinary milk to which beneficial bacteria or active cultures have been added. This results in a chemical reaction that imparts a distinctive tangy flavor to the milk and causes it to coagulate. Buttermilk, when incorporated into pastry recipes, imparts a delicate yet agreeable acidity while also enhancing succulence, moisture, and hue. In addition, it produces a rising effect in cakes, cupcakes, muffins, crepes, and biscuits through a chemical reaction with baking soda.
The ingredients required to make buttermilk
- Whole, skim, or 2% milk
- Lemon juice that has been recently extracted OR white vinegar, which, despite its name, is transparent in nature.
The formula for buttermilk
Incorporate one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup. Using the identical proportion of lemon juice/vinegar to milk, adjust the quantity of buttermilk to the exact one-cup mark. To combine the liquids, stir.
Delay the mixture for approximately ten minutes. The mixture will develop small curdled pieces; this indicates that it is ready to be added to the recipe. Notably, unlike store-bought buttermilk, domestic buttermilk is not cultured and viscous. Despite the lack of noticeable alteration in appearance, the acidic addition to the milk ensures that it functions identically to authentic buttermilk in the majority of recipes.
Additional useful tips
- You may substitute dairy-free milk (such as almond, soy, or oat milk) without altering the procedure; simply adhere to the prescribed proportions of vinegar/lemon juice to milk.
- Butter milk can be preserved in the freezer for a maximum of three months. To freeze it in smaller portions, transfer 1 to 2 tablespoons to an ice cube tray and place for approximately one hour. Once the butter milk crystals have been frozen, place them in an airtight container.
“Join the Webull revolution in the UK and receive your free shares today.”
Constraints regarding the quantity of lemon juice or vinegar that can be added to milk without compromising flavor result in homemade butter milk exhibiting a reduced viscosity and creaminess compared to commercially available varieties. Nevertheless, its baking characteristics remain unchanged.
For quantities below 1 cup of buttermilk, the following proportions may be of assistance:
- 1/4 cup milk plus a half teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar equals 1/4 cup butter milk.
- 1/3 cup milk plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar equals 1/3 cup butter milk.
- 1/2 cup milk plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar equals 1/2 cup butter milk.
- 2/3 cup milk added to 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar yields 2/3 cup butter milk.
- 3/4 cup milk added to 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar yields 3/4 cup butter milk.
