Traditional buttermilk Originally, buttermilk referred to the thin liquid left over from churning butter from cultured or fermented cream.
Churning in the Olden Days — Irish Butter Making
FAQ
What is the difference between old and new style buttermilk?
The original “buttermilk” was simply the liquid left after cream had been churned to make butter. The modern product called buttermilk is actually a cultured milk product in the same family as yoghurt. It is milk that has been acidified by the addition and culture of lactic acid bacilli.
How is today’s buttermilk different than the buttermilk made 100 years ago?
Many years ago, all buttermilk was essentially “cultured.” Today, however, cultured buttermilk refers to skim milk that has been intentionally inoculated with lactic acid-producing cultures, usually Lactococcus lactis or Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Leuconostoc citrovorum.
How is buttermilk made today?
So, what is buttermilk? Traditionally, buttermilk was the fermented liquid leftover after churning cream into butter. These days, store-bought buttermilk is typically made from milk with added lactic bacteria, which produce lactic acid.
How do you make buttermilk without culture?
The simplest way to substitute buttermilk is to pour 1 Tbs. of vinegar into a 1 cup measurer and then fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Then gently stir the mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes. If you don’t have vinegar, lemon juice and cream of tarter also work as great buttermilk substitutions.