Cultured Buttermilk
Buttermilk can be made by fermenting milk with a buttermilk culture. Cultured buttermilk is a flavorful and probiotic drink. It is a delicious substitute for yogurt and perfect for baking!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 1/2 cups 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Traditional
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups milk (whole or skim)
- 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk
Instructions
- Mix the buttermilk and milk in a clean glass jar.
- Put the lid on the jar and leave the jar to ferment on the counter for 4-12 hours (see notes). Buttermilk thickens best at temperatures of around 68F to 86F (20C to 30C). So expect it to take a bit longer if it’s colder than that.
- Taste the buttermilk to decide when it is done. It should taste slightly sour and a bit like cottage cheese.
- Store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.
Notes
- The first time you make buttermilk, it may take a little longer (up to 24 hours) to achieve a nice flavor. It will depend on the quality of your buttermilk culture. However, once you’ve established your culture, it should ferment quickly.
- If it hasn’t fermented within 24 hours, then the culture wasn’t alive and vigorous. If this happens, then I recommend trying a different brand. See the section above for more information on finding good buttermilk cultures.
- To maintain an active culture, make buttermilk at least once a week. See the section above for other options.
Keywords: probiotic, cultured, gluten free, easy, healthy, yogurt, kefir