Buttermilk

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We have some leftover buttermilk from a recipe that called for it. For the heck of it, this morning I used some of it on my cereal. I was surprised that I really liked it.

Do you use buttermilk and if so, how do you use it?
 
We buy shelf and fridge stable buttermilk powder. I like chicken soaked in buttermilk either before dredging to fry or as a flavor enhancer for grilling some chicken pieces. The biscuits I like best call for buttermilk.
 
Yeah, I love it.

As an ingredient, I use it in biscuits (not in the British sense of the word), pancakes, waffles, salad dressings, I make creme fraiche with it, in the occasional cake, and bread recipe.

As a treat, I have a glass with cornbread crumbled in it and some pepper added. Nod to my Kentucky forebears. :)
 
We buy shelf and fridge stable buttermilk powder. I like chicken soaked in buttermilk either before dredging to fry or as a flavor enhancer for grilling some chicken pieces. The biscuits I like best call for buttermilk.

I've only started using buttermilk in the last 2 or 3 years. Exactly as you do in my southern fried chicken. This is now a fave here. The whole family love it. But.... It is quite time consuming. As I'm the only cook here is why. A bit like croquettes, dredging takes time.

Russ
 
Buttermilk is one of those products which seems to be far more 'every day' and 'traditional' in the USA than it is in the UK . Certainly, its on sale here in supermarkets but not (as far as I know) in the budget supermarkets. I may be wrong. Here its traditionally been used in baking - typically in scones but not much else. I think that has probably changed a bit recently.

Just did a quick on-line search of the major supermarkets:

Ocado: no buttermilk
Waitrose: one brand
Asda: two brands
Tesco: one brand
Morrisons: two brands
Waitrose: one brand

All of the above also stock products such as pancakes containing buttermilk and some also stock ready-made breaded chicken products with buttermilk.
 
As far as I am aware our local supermarkets do not stock buttermilk. "Tops" supermarket do stock some Waitrose produce (very expensive) but not buttermilk. We also have Tesco but it's branded "Tesco-Lotus" which is a Chinese run consortium. No buttermilk there either. It's not really surprising given the lactose intolerance of the majority of Asians. I suppose that I could make it myself but I've never really had the need.
 
As far as I am aware our local supermarkets do not stock buttermilk. "Tops" supermarket do stock some Waitrose produce (very expensive) but not buttermilk. We also have Tesco but it's branded "Tesco-Lotus" which is a Chinese run consortium. No buttermilk there either. It's not really surprising given the lactose intolerance of the majority of Asians. I suppose that I could make it myself but I've never really had the need.

Apparently its very good in curry! I only came across that today and will definitely be trying it.
 
I used to use it all the time when I could consume it. But my main use of it (coming directly from my time in Ireland) was on Irish Soda bread the recipe for which came from a lovely old lady (no longer with us) who back in 1990's we stayed with in Roslaire at a B&B there. We stayed there every year, once each way for maybe closer on 15 years in total. It was her family recipe and made for a very simple, easy and quick soda bread that even young children could not fail at making a really good loaf of bread with. I'm sure it's on this site somewhere... I'll look next week. I'm taking tomorrow off other than a brief check in the morning that all is OK. I actually came across the recipe, literally ingredients only, in her handwriting just yesterday and again earlier today. It's on the study desk again. Replicating a dairy free buttermilk is high on my list of 'wants. Dairy free yoghurt just doesn't replicate it somehow!

20190914_201415.jpg


Here you go, I wrote it up back in 2012!
Recipe - Irish Soda Bread it was the 30th post on this board! If you follow the link you'll see a number at the end of the title name after a full setup. That's the post number on the board.
 
Another word if you're buying it - avoid the low-fat buttermilk that's widely available here. For buttermilk, you want the full fat stuff - thick, rich, and tangy, while the low-fat stuff is weak, thin, and just sour.

Anyone who uses buttermilk probably also knows the trick of putting lemon juice or vinegar in some whole milk to recreate"the buttermilk effect." This does work ok in recipes, but it's not a good substitute to consume directly and also results in rather poor creme fraiche.
 
Yes, I use buttermilk. I never finish the carton for any one recipe, so I may add it to scrambled eggs, or make pancakes with it. I've used it when battering chicken or smelts. Or for tenderizing chicken in a marinating soak. I have used it with oatmeal. I can use it as a sub for many recipes calling for regular milk.

I really don't want to use buttermilk powder - so I try to plan for food to eat around it for after I've made the new recipe in question.
 
....and I've decided to make my own. The original buttermilk was literally that; the liquid left over from making butter. Nowadays the buttermilk we buy is made by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria.

I'm going to make some butter and then use the 'whey' (buttermilk) in other recipes...
 
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