All About Buttermilk

Several kinds of buttermilk are circulating around the dairy case these days: cultured buttermilk, cultured reduced-fat buttermilk, and cultured skim (nonfat or fat free) buttermilk. The first is made with whole milk, and the others, as their names imply, with reduced fat and skim milks. Fat content correlates directly with the type of milk used and can vary from producer to producer, but it is never higher than 3.25 percent, the percentage of fat in whole milk. Markets north of the Mason-Dixon line generally carry only reduced fat and nonfat buttermilk. Whole milk buttermilk is extremely hard to come by unless you are in the South. Tasted side-by-side, we could taste little difference between dressings and baked goods prepared with all three. Use whatever you can find.

Leftover buttermilk doesn’t have to go to waste. In the test kitchen, we found that buttermilk could be frozen for up to one month and then used later with no noticeable effects to the baked goods. To freeze buttermilk, pour the buttermilk into clean ice cube trays, and place in the freezer until completely solid. Pop the cubes out of the tray, transfer them to a freezer-safe storage bag, and return the cubes to the freezer for up to one month. When ready to use, the buttermilk cubes must be defrosted first. You can let them defrost overnight in the refrigerator, but note that you’ll need to whisk the buttermilk to recombine any separated whey and milky solids. Or for a quicker defrost, place the cubes in a microwave safe measuring cup, and microwave on medium powder until completely defrosted. Once thawed, the buttermilk is ready to be used as directed.

Although the vast majority of buttermilk available at the supermarket is commercially made, we’ve seen the reintroduction of “real” buttermilk–that is, it’s the true byproduct of the butter-making process. Curious, we tested a commercially made style vs. the real deal, to see if there were any differences in terms of taste or texture. While the true buttermilk was slightly brighter in taste, there were no other discernible differences. Since commercial buttermilk is generally less expensive than real buttermilk, we are happy to continue using it for baking and cooking.

Sometimes (or perhaps often) we find that we want to make a quickbread or biscuit, but we don’t have any buttermilk on hand. What to do? Luckily we have a couple of tricks up our sleeve.

One way to create a makeshift substitute is to “clabber” or acidulate regular milk. After a few minutes, the milk will slightly thicken, and have a tangy taste similar to real buttermilk. Take 1 cup of milk (any kind will do), stir in 1½ tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar, and let it sit for at least five minutes; or until the mixture begins to thicken to a buttermilk-like consistency. Use this mixture as you would buttermilk, and you'll never be without biscuits again.

Like buttermilk, commercial yogurt is a cultured dairy product with a distinctive tang. Luckily, we found that it could be used as a substitute for most baked goods. For biscuits, cakes, and most quick breads, you can use a 1:1 ratio substitute of low-fat yogurt for low-fat buttermilk. However, for items like pancakes, the batter needs to be a little thinner to spread out in a skillet. In this case, you’ll need to thin the yogurt with an equal amount of low-fat milk or water.

Powdered buttermilk—which can usually be found in the baking section of the supermarket—is actually closer to your grandmother’s buttermilk. It’s the powdered form of the tangy, watery substance left over once cream has been churned into butter. Powdered milk is great to keep on hand; we’ve found no substantial differences in baked goods that were made with either liquid or powdered buttermilk. It's easy to use (the powder is added to the recipe along with the dry ingredients, and water is added when the liquid buttermilk is called for), it has a long shelf life, and it's inexpensive.