How to Make Cultured Buttermilk – 2 Methods

In this post, I am showing you 2 different simple methods of how you can easily make cultured buttermilk at home.

We love cultured dairy and use buttermilk in many recipes.

Sometimes, we end up with a lot of milk from our herd share. The best way to make this left-over milk last longer is by culturing it.

Also, we love to use this buttermilk as a launching pad for other dairy fermentations that I will talk about in future posts! Stay tuned!

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What is cultured buttermilk?

As the word implies, cultured buttermilk has been produced by letting beneficial bacteria do their job. Just like yogurt, kefir, and sour cream, cultured buttermilk has a slightly tangy flavor.

However, there are other types of buttermilk:

Technically, any time you make butter and separate the butter from the liquid you have buttermilk.

And sometimes, if we want to use buttermilk in a recipe, we can add vinegar or lemon juice to milk and have instant buttermilk.

This is different from what we are doing here!

Cultured Buttermilk – method 1

This method produces the most amount of buttermilk. All you need is some already made cultured buttermilk.

You can buy it from the store.

You can buy specific cultures from this source.

Or you keep some of the buttermilk from a previous batch.

Now, all you do is add about ¼ cup of cultured buttermilk to your milk. We love to use raw milk but pasteurized works just as well.

Then you cover it loosely and let it sit in a warm place for anywhere from 8 – 24 hours. You might want to check on your buttermilk frequently to keep it from over-fermenting. Signs of over-fermentation are whey separating from the buttermilk and a very sour smell or taste.

Once you’re done, you can enjoy this buttermilk right away or keep it in the refrigerator for future use!

Cultured buttermilk – method 2

For this method, you will need to make butter.

I have a tutorial here and here, showing you how to make butter at home. We do it all the time. It is so easy and fun to do!

The only difference is that you will need to culture your cream before making the butter.

Simply add about 2 tablespoons of kefir (or yogurt) to the cream, cover it loosely and let it sit in a warm place for anywhere from 8 – 24 hours. Just like with method 1, you might want to check this periodically.

You want the cream to turn into sour cream. It should then look a lot stiffer and firmer than the cream.

Now, you make butter. You can hand-churn it, use your kitchen processor, or your high-speed blender.

Then you will end up with delicious butter – and buttermilk!

Just strain the butter and collect the buttermilk in a mason jar or container. If you want this buttermilk to have a very smooth consistency, use a finer strainer. Using a coarser strainer results in leaving little specks of butter in your buttermilk.

10+ Uses for your cultured buttermilk:

1. I actually enjoy drinking buttermilk straight from the glass!
2. However, most people use it in recipes.
3. I love using buttermilk to make a sourdough starter.
4. The most popular use is probably replacing regular milk with buttermilk in your pancakes or waffles.
5. Of course, you can use it in any cake recipe when you’d normally use milk.
6. Marinating meat in buttermilk is a great idea as it makes it very tender.
7. Buttermilk is also perfect for fried chicken! You can make ranch dressing with it or add it to your smoothies.
8. And if you are familiar with it, you might like to turn your buttermilk into quark.
9. You can use it on your skin, especially after sun exposure and sunburn.
10. Buttermilk is great for your hair!
11. I bet that once you experience how easy it is to make cultured buttermilk, you will come up with a lot more ways to use it in your kitchen.

Notes:

Just like with any fermentation, the temperature will have a big impact on your buttermilk-making process.

When I make buttermilk in the winter, it can take about 24 hours before it has been properly cultured. In the summer, this might happen overnight.

That is why it’s a good idea to check on your ferments periodically. Also, some people want just a bit of tanginess, and others like their cultured dairy to have a deeper, more sour taste. Just be careful to not over-ferment your buttermilk!

If you have ever spent any time in the European Alps, you might have seen cultured buttermilk being sold in those mountain inns.

For me, this refreshing drink with the little specks of butter brings back a lot of childhood memories!

Have you made cultured buttermilk before? What is your favorite use for it? Let me know below!

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