A half drunk glass of cultured buttermilk. Notice the thickness, from the trails left behind on the glass

Buttermilk is a fermented dairy product produced from cow's milk with a characteristically sour taste. Fermented milk products, also known as cultured dairy foods, cultured dairy products, or cultured milk products, are dairy foods that have been fermented The product is made in one of two ways. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream. Churning is the process of shaking up Whole milk (or cream) to make Butter, and various forms of Butter churn have been used for the purpose For the 1993 hip-hop single by the Wu-Tang Clan see CREAM CREAM is an acronym for Cognitive Reliability Error Analysis Method a Today, this is called traditional buttermilk. Buttermilk also refers to cultured buttermilk, a product where lactic acid bacteria have been added to milk. The Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB comprise a Clade of Gram positive, low- G[[Cytosine C]] acid tolerant non-sporulating non-respiring rod or cocci that are ^[1] 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 by-product naturally produced by lactic acid bacteria while fermenting lactose, the primary sugar found in milk. Lactic acid ( IUPAC Systematic name: 2-hydroxypropanoic acid) also known as milk acid, is a Chemical compound that plays a role Fermentation is the process of deriving energy from the oxidation of organic compounds such as carbohydrates using an endogenous electron acceptor which is Lactose (also referred to as milk sugar) is a Sugar which is found most notably 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. See Casein paint for information about casein usage in artistic painting 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. ^[1]

In the early 1900's, cultured buttermilk was labeled artificial buttermilk, to differentiate it from traditional buttermilk, which was also known as natural or ordinary buttermilk. ^[2]

Acidified buttermilk is a related product that is made by adding a food-grade acid to milk. ^[3]

Production process

The fermentation that takes place in traditional buttermilk is accomplished by wild strains of lactic acid bacteria acquired from the environment. 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 naturally be fermented by the lactic acid bacteria in the milk. One reason this was done was to facilitate the butter churning process since cream with a lower pH will congeal more readily than fresh cream. The acidic environment helped prevent potentially harmful microorganisms from growing, thus the soured liquid helped increase the shelf-life of the product.

Commercially available cultured buttermilk is pasteurized and homogenized milk which has been inoculated with a culture of lactic acid bacteria to simulate the naturally occurring bacteria found in the old-fashioned product. Pasteurization is the process of heating Liquids for the purpose of destroying bacteria, Protozoa, Molds and Yeasts The process was Homogenization (or homogenisation) is a term used in many fields such as Chemistry, Agricultural science, Food technology, Sociology Inoculation is the placement of something to where it will grow or reproduce and is most commonly used in respect of the introduction of a serum Vaccine, or antigenic substance 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. ^[1]

Today, traditional buttermilk is rarely found. Adding specific strains of bacteria to pasteurized milk has allowed for more consistent production.

Sour cream

A fresh batch of English buttermilk scones

Sour cream is produced using a similar process as the one used for cultured buttermilk. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The scone is a British snack of Scottish origin A small quickbread made of Wheat, Barley or Oatmeal, usually with Sour cream is a Dairy product rich in Fats obtained by fermenting a regular Cream by certain kinds of Lactic acid bacteria. The primary difference is that sour cream begins with cream as opposed to milk, and it sometimes contains thickening agents.

Substitutes

For recipes, a substitute for buttermilk can be made by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar or 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar to each cup of regular milk. Cream of tartar redirects here --> Potassium bitartrate, also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate The soured milk should be allowed to sit for ten minutes before being used. Fermented milk products|Souring Soured milk is a food product distinguished from spoiled Milk, and is a general term for milk that has acquired a tart taste either through ^[4]

A low-fat substitute can be made by mixing equal parts of skim milk and low-fat yogurt. ^[5]

See also

• Whey, the liquid left over after producing cheese. Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after Milk has been Curdled and strained it is a By-product of the manufacture of Cheese
• Milk
• Filmjölk, a kind of buttermilk. Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. Filmjölk (also known as fil or the older word surmjölk) is a Swedish Mesophilic Fermented milk product that is made by fermenting

References

External links

• Making Buttermilk