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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye.

Buttermilk introduction

Buttermilk was traditionally a by product of homemade hand churned butter. Buttermilk was the liquid that remained after the butter had been made. The liquid contained small particles of floating butter and some traces of butterfat.

This gave the buttermilk a rich sweet flavor and made the drink very refreshing. It was also commonly used in homemade biscuits, salad dressings such as ranch and as the dipping liquid for fried chicken. Today buttermilk is mass produced and has only a trace resemblance to the original form of buttermilk.

Buttermilk pancakes

The variations are endless when it comes to pancakes. Two of the most popular types of American style pancakes are the Buttermilk Pancake and the Blueberry Pancake. Buttermilk pancakes have a sweet tang to there taste that comes from using buttermilk in the batter. If buttermilk is not on hand in your refrigerator you can easily substitute 1 cup of milk with scant tablespoon white vinegar for the buttermilk. Simply whisk the vinegar into the milk and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes. The milk will thicken slightly and then be ready for mixing in the batter.

Buttermilk for you

Buttermilk is a fermented diary product produced from cow's milk with a characteristically sour taste. The product is made in one of two ways. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream. Today, this is called traditional buttermilk. Buttermilk also refers to cultured buttermilk, a product where lactic acid bacteria have been added to milk. Whether traditional or cultured, the tartness of buttermilk is due to the presence of acid in the milk.

CONCLUSION

Cultured buttermilk is probably the easiest and most fool proof fermented milk product to make nothing more than the tart liquid left after the butter is churned. Buttermilk is low in fat. It's sometimes tolerated by people with lactose intolerance since some of the lactose is fermented by bacteria.

The acidity of buttermilk also explains its long refrigerator shelf life. Slightly sour in taste. It is quite popular as a coolant in India and a variant called lassi is sold commercially. Buttermilk can be found in supermarkets, in the dairy section, and is known as cultured buttermilk, which is made by adding a bacterial culture to low-fat or nonfat milk.