Buttermilk is a common baking ingredient, but it can be hard to find at the store. Luckily, there are some substitutes you can make at home that will do the job in most recipes.
These substitutes work by providing the acidic milk mixture that helps baking soda react to create the leavening process. They are also safe to use with vegan, dairy-free and nut-free milks.
How to Make Buttermilk
Buttermilk is a staple in many recipes, and it is easy to make if you have the right ingredients on hand. It is also a great option for people who are lactose intolerant because it contains bacteria that break down and digest lactose. It also helps to increase calcium levels in the body, which is crucial for bone health and maintaining signaling systems in the blood.
To make buttermilk, simply add vinegar or lemon juice to milk and let sit for 10 minutes. This will slightly curdle the proteins and give the liquid a tangy flavor and thicker texture.
You can use dairy milk or plant-based milk such as almond, cashew, soy, oat, or rice milk. However, plant-based milks will be thin and require a different ratio of acidifier to achieve the desired result.
The key is to let the mixture stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes so it will curdle and separate into little bits. This will help it to react with baking soda and other ingredients, forming carbon dioxide and helping to leaven baked goods such as cakes, muffins, breads, and cookies.
If you’re making buttermilk at home, it’s important to keep it in a sterile container with a lid and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Buttermilk will last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.
When you are ready to make buttermilk, whisk together the milk and vinegar/lemon juice until well-combined. This yields about 1 cup of buttermilk; you can scale it up or down depending on your needs.
You can also substitute yogurt for the milk in this recipe, though it may take a few extra minutes to combine. This substitute works best in recipes where you are using a lot of milk, and should be used at a rate of 1-2 tablespoons per cup of milk.
This buttermilk is not as thick as traditional buttermilk, so it may not be suitable for savory dishes where you need a thicker consistency such as gravy or stew. The texture will be a bit more sour, but it will still work just as well for baking purposes.
Substitutes
Buttermilk is a tangy, rich ingredient that adds moisture and a creamy texture to biscuits, pancakes, waffles, cakes, salad dressings, and more. Traditionally, it was a byproduct of making butter, but modern buttermilk is made with the addition of lactic acid bacteria to milk that ferments into a slightly thick, yogurt-like substance.
When paired with baking soda, buttermilk is a powerful leavening agent that helps baked goods rise and produce exceptional fluffiness in pancakes and biscuits. It also imparts a creamy texture to cornbread and light cakes like Ree Drummond’s famous Chocolate Sheet Cake.
While many people don’t keep buttermilk on hand, or don’t use it because of dietary restrictions, it’s easy to make a substitute that works just as well. These substitutes are either dairy-based or non-dairy and can be made using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
The most obvious and simplest substitute is lemon juice. Simply pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add a scant cup of milk, then stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
Another excellent substitute is sour cream. To make a cup of sour cream, measure out three quarters of a cup of sour cream and stir in 1/4 cup of milk. This ratio can be scaled up or down depending on the amount of buttermilk your recipe calls for.
You can also replace buttermilk with yogurt, which is a fermented dairy product that contains lactic acid. Yogurt is a great substitute for buttermilk because it has the same tangy, acidic flavor and consistency. However, it may work better if you thin the yogurt with water or milk to ensure a smooth consistency for your baked goods.
Some other sour substitutes are lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and cream of tartar. These substitutes are often used in recipes for fried chicken and party dips, but can also be useful in a variety of other dishes.
The only drawback to sour substitutes is that they can sometimes cause a dense and spongy texture in baking. If this is the case, increase the amount of baking powder in your recipe by 2 teaspoons. This will give you a more delicate texture, but won’t impart the tangy flavor that is so characteristic of buttermilk.
Storage
Buttermilk is a dairy product that can last a long time before spoiling. It can also be frozen and thawed easily for use in recipes.
If you have a large amount of buttermilk leftover after making a batch of pancakes or other foods that call for buttermilk, freezing it may be the solution to your problem. However, you must be careful not to freeze buttermilk that is past its use-by date.
To store buttermilk in the freezer, transfer it to airtight storage containers that have a tight-fitting lid. Be sure to leave some room at the top of the container, as the buttermilk will expand when it freezes.
For the best quality, it is recommended to use buttermilk within three months of freezing. After this period, the quality will start to degrade and its taste and texture will change.
In order to prevent this, be sure to label the frozen buttermilk with the date you froze it so you can always find it when you need it. This is especially important if you’re planning to make something with it.
Another option is to freeze buttermilk in pre-measured quantities that will be useful for future recipes. This way, you can easily thaw just the right amount for a recipe without worrying about any left-overs.
You can freeze buttermilk in ice cube trays, silicone baking forms for mini muffins or buttermilk cake molds. These are all convenient ways to freeze buttermilk and can be easily stored in a freezer bag once they have hardened.
When you’re ready to use your buttermilk, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using it in a recipe. It’s also a good idea to give it a quick whisk before using it in your recipe, as this will help the whey and solids to mix together again.
If you’re not too sure about freezing buttermilk, try measuring it into a few ice cube trays and then using them in your recipes. The ice cubes are handy for keeping in your fridge, and they’re easy to pop out when you need a bit of buttermilk.
Uses
Buttermilk is an ingredient that can add a distinctive tangy flavor to recipes. It can also be used as a leavening agent in baking. It can help create a light and fluffy cake or biscuit.
The acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to give cakes their lofty rise, and it can help keep baked goods moist. It can be used in place of regular baking powder to achieve the same effect.
If you have buttermilk leftover, it’s an easy way to make a glaze without adding extra ingredients. You can also use it to add a tangy punch to salad dressings, or in soups.
For a savory dish, you can use it in place of plain yogurt or sour cream to add a creamy texture and some tangy flavor. You can also substitute it for some of the fat in a recipe, like in mashed potatoes or baked beans.
It’s also a great substitute for some of the liquid in a dessert, like ice cream. It’s a little thicker than milk and less fatty than cream, so it helps cut through the richness of the dessert.
You can also use it as a leavening in baked items like muffins or scones, and it helps bind dough together. It’s often used as a marinade or brine, and can help tenderize meat.
The tangy acid in buttermilk is a good acidic balance to other acids, and it can help tenderize and make meats more juicy, especially chicken. It’s also a good complement to salty foods, like cheese and salted pork.
If you want to make a dessert that requires no baking, try using it instead of vanilla extract in a custard base. It can also be added to chocolate sauce or caramel syrup, and it can help cut through the richness of a sundae topping.
Buttermilk can also be frozen and used later for recipes that call for it. You can freeze it in ice cube trays or pre-portioned plastic bags with labels to indicate how much is inside. This makes it easier to thaw and re-use.
