Buttermilk

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:07 pm

Sorry to start a thread for this question, but I can't go back out to the store right now and have to make a cake for tomorrow.

I don't do a lot of baking ,so I'm not sure how to substitute products. I have to use a cup of buttermilk and my container of buttermilk expired on Feb 22. Even though it's a day late, can I still use it in the cake...don't wanna get anyone sick.

I've often substituted a cup of milk with a tsp of vinegar in it to substitute when I was making Irish Soda Bread and it works fine.

Thanks:-6

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:19 pm

Yes you can. It won't hurt anyone since you'll be baking the cake.

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:24 pm

You might be surprised to learn there is no butter, per se, in buttermilk, and it is lower in fat than sweet milk. Old-fashioned homemade buttermilk is the slightly sour, residual liquid which remains after butter is churned, ie. milk from the butter or buttermilk. It was usually flecked with tiny spots of sweet, creamy butter that didn't quite make it to the top to be skimmed. The flavor of buttermilk is reminiscent of yogurt and most people prefer it well-chilled. You'll find it is slightly thicker in texture than regular milk but not as heavy as cream. It takes one gallon of milk to yield one-half pint of true buttermilk.

Nowadays, most commercial buttermilk is made by adding a lactic acid bacteria culture to pasteurized sweet whole milk or, more commonly skim milk or non-fat milk, and it may or may not have added butter flecks. After the addition of the culture, the milk is left to ferment for 12 to 14 hours at a low temperature (optimum 69 degrees F.). It is usually labeled cultured buttermilk and may be salted or unsalted.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:31 pm

Sheryl:-4 Thank you sooo much...I just can't run to the store right now as I'm waiting for an important phone call. Now, I just realized that I don't have vanilla extract, so the hell with it...I'm going to use almond extract:wah: I think I'm so organized and bloody hell...I'm not!

Mags, buttermilk is fermented dairy product produced from cow's milk and has a sour taste. It's the liquid left over from churning better from cream. The Irish use it in making Irish Soda Bread and it gives food a lovely taste.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:33 pm

How would one know when Buttermilk is bad ?

Its not the date on the carton.

It just sits and ferments

I've never had any - my sister drinks it all the time.:-2

Patsy

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:33 pm

Chezzie;782248 wrote: You might be surprised to learn there is no butter, per se, in buttermilk, and it is lower in fat than sweet milk. Old-fashioned homemade buttermilk is the slightly sour, residual liquid which remains after butter is churned, ie. milk from the butter or buttermilk. It was usually flecked with tiny spots of sweet, creamy butter that didn't quite make it to the top to be skimmed. The flavor of buttermilk is reminiscent of yogurt and most people prefer it well-chilled. You'll find it is slightly thicker in texture than regular milk but not as heavy as cream. It takes one gallon of milk to yield one-half pint of true buttermilk.

Nowadays, most commercial buttermilk is made by adding a lactic acid bacteria culture to pasteurized sweet whole milk or, more commonly skim milk or non-fat milk, and it may or may not have added butter flecks. After the addition of the culture, the milk is left to ferment for 12 to 14 hours at a low temperature (optimum 69 degrees F.). It is usually labeled cultured buttermilk and may be salted or unsalted.

Thanks Chez...:-6just saw your post with explanation after I posted mine.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:34 pm

fuzzy butt;782242 wrote: Kath what exactly is buttermilk?

the expiry (by food standards board ) really means 'Best before'........so it will be fine.

They changed it in australia from 'use by' to 'Best before' because people were being ripped off. thinking that products were off.

Mags, thanks for telling me that...I like that "Best before"

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:38 pm

Patsy Warnick;782254 wrote: How would one know when Buttermilk is bad ?

Its not the date on the carton.

It just sits and ferments

I've never had any - my sister drinks it all the time.:-2

Patsy

Hi Patsy,

I just know that if Buttermilk is left for too long it congeals and becomes little, tiny blobs.....:wah: I'm sure it doesn't smell good, but I have little sense of smell due to allergies so I'm always shoving food into people's noses asking if it's ok:wah:

Don't like the taste of it thought except in baking products.

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:51 pm

My grandma used to drink buttermilk poured over crumbled cornbread. The stuff sold in the stores is nothing like they had back in the days. I don't care to drink the stuff, but is wonderful as a meat tenderizer, and used in baking.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:59 pm

Sheryl;782268 wrote: My grandma used to drink buttermilk poured over crumbled cornbread. The stuff sold in the stores is nothing like they had back in the days. I don't care to drink the stuff, but is wonderful as a meat tenderizer, and used in baking.

Good story Sheryl, thank you. I remember my father telling me when he was a kid growing up in Donegal, Ireland that the only food that he and his family had , many times, to eat was a bowl of spuds sopped in buttermilk.....6 of the family would sit around the table thanking goodness they had this to eat. Everytime I think of buttermilk I think of my poor dad:-4

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:10 am

do you refridgerate buttermilk?? *snort*

:wah:

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:58 am

I certainly wouldnt drink the stuff but it sure makes a good pancake.

qsducks · Post by **qsducks** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:00 pm

I've always used buttermilk in Scon (is that called Irish soda bread?) My mom calls it scon w/raisins and it is to die for, yum.