Buttermilk!

I'm sure that you've come across recipes that call for buttermilk and have thought to yourself, "Damn it! I don't want to have to make a trip to the store to buy buttermilk!!!"** It probably wasn't that corny or scripted, but it's a common thought shared by many bakers and cooks. 


Buttermilk originally was the liquid left after churning butter our of cream. It's pretty much just slightly fermented milk. Buttermilk has a higher viscosity than plain milk(meaning that it sticks to the side of the glass more). Buttermilk has a bit of a tart or sour taste compared to milk due to the higher levels of lactic acid. Lactic acid is a byproduct of fermented lactose, which is the primary sugar found in milk. 


One of the drawbacks to going out and buying buttermilk is how much of it gets wasted if you don't actually drink buttermilk or have other uses for it. Most recipes call for about a cup, and the rest is either left to rot in the fridge or poured down the drain. During the course of my work in the kitchen, and doing some crafty cost saving research on the internet, I have found a way to reduce cost, time, and eliminate waste when working with buttermilk. 


Making buttermilk is quite simple and takes about 5 minutes; 4 of those minutes are waiting. All you need is milk and vinegar or lemon juice. The formula is easy to remember, for every cup of milk, just add a table spoon of vinegar or lemon juice, stir, and wait about four or five minutes. You'll notice that the milk has thickened slightly, and will have just the slightest bit of a sour taste and smell. You'll know you've got buttermilk when you give the liquid a gentle stir and it puts a think coat on the side of the glass. Viola, buttermilk!


**Now, let's look at the big picture. I mentioned earlier how making buttermilk at home reduces cost and saves time. Think of it this way; if you were going out to buy buttermilk, you'd have to start your car, drive to the store, dig through the entire dairy case looking for a product you're unfamiliar with, check out, drive home, and pour what you need out of the container. Then, as previously mentioned, the rest of the container will most likely sit in your fridge and be forgotten about. What a waste of your valuable cooking time and gas money.