Buttermilk

From Self-sufficiency

For other uses, see Buttermilk (disambiguation)

File:Buttermilk-(right)-and-Milk-(left).jpg

Buttermilk (right) compared to fresh milk (left). Notice the thickness from the trails left behind on the glass.

Buttermilk, low fat
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	169 kJ (40 kcal)
Carbohydrates	4.8 g
Fat	0.9 g
Protein	3.3 g
Calcium	116 mg (12%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.

Buttermilk refers to a number of dairy drinks. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cream. It also refers to a range of fermented milk drinks, common in warm climates (e.g., Middle East, India, or the Southern United States) where fresh milk would otherwise sour quickly.^[1] It is also popular in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, despite the colder climates.

Whether traditional or cultured, the tartness of buttermilk is due to the presence of acid in the milk. The increased acidity is primarily due to lactic acid, a byproduct naturally produced by lactic acid bacteria while fermenting lactose, the primary sugar found in milk. As lactic acid is produced by the bacteria, the pH of the milk decreases and casein, the primary protein in milk, precipitates causing the curdling or clabbering of milk. This process makes buttermilk thicker than plain milk. While both traditional and cultured buttermilk contain lactic acid, traditional buttermilk tends to be thinner whereas cultured buttermilk is much thicker.^[2]

1 Traditional buttermilk
- 1.1 India
2 Cultured buttermilk
- 2.1 Production process
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

Traditional buttermilk

Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream.

India

In India, buttermilk ((Hindi| "mattha", "chaas" or "chaach"^[3] | "lassi") (Kannada: majjige) (Telugu: మజ్జిగ) (Tamil: மோர்|more) (Marathi: ताक) (in Gujarati it is known as "chasse") is taken to be the liquid leftover after extracting butter from churned yogurt (dahi). Today, this is called traditional buttermilk. Traditional buttermilk is still common in many Indian households but rarely found in western countries.^[2] In Southern India buttermilk with added water, salt, asafoetida, and curry leaves are given at stalls in festival times to quench thirst and keep the body cool from the scorching heat of the sun.

Cultured buttermilk

The variation of buttermilk which is a fermented dairy product, is produced from cow's milk, and with a characteristically sour taste caused by lactic acid bacteria. The product is made in one of two ways: artificially made buttermilk, also known as cultured buttermilk, is made by adding lactic acid bacteria called Streptococcus lactis to milk and so-called Bulgarian buttermilk is created with a different strain of bacteria called Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which creates more tartness.

Production process

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Traditionally, before cream was skimmed from whole milk, it was left to sit for a period of time to allow the cream and milk to separate. During this time, the milk would be fermented by the naturally occurring lactic acid-producing bacteria in the milk. This facilitates the butter churning process since fat from cream with a lower pH will coalesce more readily than that from fresh cream.^[4] The acidic environment also helps prevent potentially harmful microorganisms from growing, increasing shelf-life.

Commercially available cultured buttermilk is pasteurized and homogenized (if 1% or 2% fat) milk which has been inoculated with a culture of lactic acid bacteria to simulate the naturally occurring bacteria found in the old-fashioned product. Some dairies add colored flecks of butter to cultured buttermilk to simulate the residual pieces of butter that can be left over from the churning process of traditional buttermilk.^[2]

Buttermilk solids have increased in importance in the food industry.^[5] Such solids are used in ice cream manufacture.^[6] Adding specific strains of bacteria to pasteurized milk allows more consistent production.

In the early 1900s, cultured buttermilk was labeled artificial buttermilk, to differentiate it from traditional buttermilk, which was known as natural or ordinary buttermilk.^[7]

Acidified buttermilk is a related product that is made by adding a food-grade acid (such as lemon juice) to milk.^[8]

References

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External links

Making cultured buttermilk

Foods featuring butter

Brandy butter • Bread and butter pudding • Butter chicken • Butter dish • Butter pecan • Butter tart • Butter cake • Butter cookie • Butter pie • Butter salt • Butterbrot • Buttercream • Butterkist • Buttermilk • Buttermilk pie • Butterscotch • Buttery (bread) • Chicken Kiev • Cocoa butter • Croissant • Danish (pastry) • Fleischbutter • Gooey butter cake • Maple butter • Pain aux raisins

Vegetarianism

Diets

Veganism	Fruitarianism · Raw veganism
Vegetarianism	Ovo-lacto vegetarianism · Ovo vegetarianism · Lacto vegetarianism · Sattvic diet
Semi-vegetarianism	Flexitarianism · Macrobiotic diet · Pescetarianism