View source for Buttermilk

{{Dablink|For other uses, see [[Buttermilk (disambiguation)]]}}
[[Image:Buttermilk-(right)-and-Milk-(left).jpg|right|thumb|239px|Buttermilk (right) compared to fresh milk (left). Notice the thickness from the trails left behind on the glass.]]

{{nutritionalvalue | name=Buttermilk, low fat | kJ=169 | protein=3.3 g | fat=0.9 g | carbs=4.8 g | calcium_mg=116 | right=1 }}
'''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.<ref>Got Buttermilk?  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/magazine/26food-t-000.html  By CHRISTINE MUHLKE
Published: April 22, 2009</ref> 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 [[Fermentation (biochemistry)|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 [[Clabber (food)|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.<ref name="Fankhause">{{cite web
  | last = Fankhause
  | first = David B.
  | title = MAKING BUTTERMILK
  | publisher = [[University of Cincinnati]] Clermont College
  | date = 2007-06-14 
  | url = http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/BUTTERMILK.HTM
  | accessdate = 2007-08-21
}}</ref>

== Traditional buttermilk ==

Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from [[churning (butter)|churning]] [[butter]] from [[cream]].

=== India ===
In India, buttermilk ((Hindi| "mattha", "chaas" or "chaach"<ref>punjabi</ref> | "lassi") ({{lang-kn|majjige}}) ({{lang-te|మజ్జిగ}}) ({{lang-ta|மோர்}}|more) ({{lang-mr|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.<ref name="Fankhause">{{cite web| last = Fankhause| first = David B.| title = MAKING BUTTERMILK| publisher = [[University of Cincinnati]] Clermont College| date = 2007-06-14 | url = http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/BUTTERMILK.HTM| accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> 
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 ===
{{Confusing section|date=December 2009}}
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.<ref>
{{cite web|last= Douma (Ed.) |first= Michael |title= Ripening to Ferment Milk Sugars to Lactic Acid |publisher= Webexhibits |date= 2007-06-14 |url= http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/culturing.html |accessdate= 2008-12-31 }}</ref>
The acidic environment also helps prevent potentially harmful microorganisms from growing, increasing shelf-life.

Commercially available cultured buttermilk is [[pasteurized]] and [[Homogenization (chemistry)|homogenized]] (if 1% or 2% fat) milk which has been [[inoculation|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.<ref name="Fankhause"/>

Buttermilk solids have increased in importance in the food industry.<ref>{{cite journal | last= Hunziker | first=O F | authorlink = Otto Frederick Hunziker | title = Utilization of Buttermilk in the form of Condensed and Dried Buttermilk | journal = Journal of Dairy Science | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–12 | publisher = American Dairy Science Association | date=  January 1, 1923 | url =http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/6/1/1 | format=PDF | accessdate = 2008-06-28 | doi= 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(23)94057-9 }}</ref>  Such solids are used in ice cream manufacture.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3802/is_v431/ai_11910994 |title=Dry buttermilk and nonfat dry milk price relationship |accessdate=2008-06-28 |date=1991-08 | publisher=U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Economic Research Service}}</ref> 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''.<ref>
{{cite book
 | last = Marshall
 | first = Charles Edward (ed.)
 | title = Microbiology: A Text-book of Microörganisms, General and Applied
 | origyear = 1911
 | url = http://books.google.com/?id=7l3KZL4ygqUC&printsec=toc&dq=microbiology+buttermilk#PPA371,M1
 | format = PDF
 | accessdate = 2007-08-21
 | year = 1912
 | publisher = P. Blakiston's Son & Co.
 | location = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 | pages = 371 }}
</ref>

''Acidified buttermilk'' is a related product that is made by adding a food-grade acid (such as lemon juice) to milk.<ref name="FDCh1P131">
{{cite web
 | url = http://frwebgate4.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=4173281813+29+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve
 | title = TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS: CHAPTER I, PART 131 MILK AND CREAM
 | accessdate = 2007-11-18
 | date = 2007-04-01
 | publisher = Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)
}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Commons category|Buttermilk}}
* [[Milk]]
* [[Whey]], the liquid left over after producing cheese.
* [[Filmjölk]], a type of buttermilk from [[Sweden]].
* [[Kefir]], a fermented milk drink from the [[Caucasus]].
* [[Lassi]], a [[South Asia]]n yogurt drink.
* [[Ayran]], an [[Anatolia]]n yogurt drink.
* [[Clabber (food)|Clabber]], a [[Southern United States]] soured milk drink.
* [[Soda bread]], a type of bread popular in [[Ireland]] and [[New Zealand]] which uses buttermilk and [[bicarbonate of soda]] as the rising agent.

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/BUTTERMILK.HTM Making cultured buttermilk]
{{Foods featuring butter}}
{{Vegetarianism}}
[[Category:Dairy products]]
[[Category:Milk]]
[[Category:Foods featuring butter]]

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[[cv:Уйран]]
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[[da:Kærnemælk]]
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[[es:Suero de mantequilla]]
[[fr:Babeurre]]
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[[hi:छाछ]]
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[[it:Latticello]]
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[[mr:ताक]]
[[nl:Karnemelk]]
[[ja:バターミルク]]
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[[pl:Maślanka]]
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[[ru:Пахта]]
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[[sl:Pinjenec]]
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[[uk:Маслянка]]
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