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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => FRESH LACTIC ACID COAGULATED - Normally No Whey Removed => Topic started by: birdsongmilkmaid on June 04, 2011, 12:04:38 AM

Title: Making buttermilk
Post by: birdsongmilkmaid on June 04, 2011, 12:04:38 AM
I'm wanting to start making buttermilk, and I'm wondering if I should buy a powdered buttermilk culture or if it is okay to use store-bought buttermilk to culture a new batch. If I can use store-bought buttermilk for my culture, any suggestions on the best way to culture a new batch? And if I should be buying a buttermilk culture, are there any suggestions on which culture(s) I should be looking at? (I want something that I can keep reculturing.)

Naomi
Title: Re: Making buttermilk
Post by: linuxboy on June 04, 2011, 12:33:14 AM
Powdered buttermilk is dead. There's no such thing as powdered buttermilk culture. It's dehydrated buttermilk solids with no living bacteria.

Buy the live, liquid stuff.
Title: Re: Making buttermilk
Post by: darius on June 04, 2011, 12:58:42 AM
I thought buttermilk was the watery milky stuff left from churning butter from raw milk?
Title: Re: Making buttermilk
Post by: linuxboy on June 04, 2011, 01:08:26 AM
that's traditional buttermilk. When butter is cultured, that works, too. Otherwise, cultured buttermilk works well.
Title: Re: Making buttermilk
Post by: MrsKK on June 05, 2011, 12:21:25 AM
A friend's hubby loves the flavor of buttermilk, so she buys whole milk and cultures it (she mostly uses buttermilk culture, but occasionally uses storebought cultured buttermilk).  She warms the milk to 90 degrees first, cultures the milk, then keeps it in the oven overnight with the light on.  Rather like culturing yogurt.  I hope this helps.
Title: Re: Making buttermilk
Post by: dthelmers on June 05, 2011, 04:30:38 AM
Naomi,
I've made a lot of buttermilk, as I use it for drinking and for cooking. If there's a store-bought buttermilk that you like, use that as your starter and then re-culture from batch to batch. I've got two local brands, but I don't know what cultures they use except that one makes a thinner and more acidic buttermilk and the other makes a thicker and less acidic buttermilk. They both re-culture well. I culture my butter with MM100 or Flora Danica, and the buttermilk that comes from that is very very good, but seems to separate easily and is grainy. I've tried re-culturing it and those tendencies become more pronounced. I've also used sour cream as a starter for buttermilk, which seems to have L. lactis and L. cremoris, and that works well and re-cultures well. I try to keep it at around 76f or a bit warmer to culture - warmer than that it seems to get an uneven texture. By the way, when I use MM100 or FD for sour cream, the texture is excellent and doesn't separate or go grainy.
Dave in CT
Title: Re: Making buttermilk
Post by: Juggler on September 10, 2011, 11:03:25 AM
I read and tried something recently with Buttermilk. I think though it more of a 'if you get caught short, without some' mix 1 cup of plain milk with 1 tbs of white wine vinegar, stir and let sit for 10 mins.  I made Buttermilk pancakes with this and they tasted great, the milk thicked and it even took on a buttermilk-ish smell.
Title: Re: Making buttermilk
Post by: MrsKK on September 11, 2011, 02:06:05 PM
Juggler - that works for baking, but does not work as a culture for cheesemaking...