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Buttermilk

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Buttermilk (right) compared to fresh milk (left). Notice the thickness from the trails left behind on the glass.
Buttermilk, low fat
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy169 kJ (40 kcal)
4.8 g
0.9 g
3.3 g
MineralsQuantity
%DV
Calcium
9%
116 mg
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2]

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 USA) where fresh milk would otherwise sour quickly. It is also popular in Scandinavia, despite the cold climate.[3]

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 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 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.[4]

Strawberry buttermilk is the same as yoghurt

Traditional buttermilk

Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream.

India

In India, buttermilk (Hindi|"chaas" or "chaach"[5] | "lassi") (Kannada: majjige) (Telugu: మజ్జిగ) (Tamil: மோர்) (Marathi: 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.[4] Still in Southern India buttermilk added with water, salt, asafoetida, and curry leaves are given at stalls in the festival time to quench thirst and keep the body cool from 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

The fermentation that takes place in traditional buttermilk is accomplished by strains of lactic acid-producing bacteria, sparking a chemical reaction due to 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-producing bacteria in the milk. One reason this was done was to facilitate the butter churning process since fat from cream with a lower pH will coalesce more readily than that from fresh cream.[6] 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 (if 1% or 2% fat) milk which has been 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.[4]

Buttermilk solids have increased in importance in the food industry.[7] Such solids are used in ice cream manufacture.[8] Adding specific strains of bacteria to pasteurized milk has allowed for 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.[9]

Acidified buttermilk is a related product that is made by adding a food-grade acid (such as lemon juice) to milk.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  2. ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  3. ^ Got Buttermilk? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/magazine/26food-t-000.html By CHRISTINE MUHLKE Published: April 22, 2009
  4. ^ a b c Fankhause, David B. (2007-06-14). "MAKING BUTTERMILK". University of Cincinnati Clermont College. Retrieved 2007-08-21. Cite error: The named reference "Fankhause" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ punjabi
  6. ^ Douma (Ed.), Michael (2007-06-14). "Ripening to Ferment Milk Sugars to Lactic Acid". Webexhibits. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  7. ^ Hunziker, O F (January 1, 1923). "Utilization of Buttermilk in the form of Condensed and Dried Buttermilk" (PDF). Journal of Dairy Science. 6 (1). American Dairy Science Association: 1–12. doi:10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(23)94057-9. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  8. ^ "Dry buttermilk and nonfat dry milk price relationship". U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Economic Research Service. 1991-08. Retrieved 2008-06-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Marshall, Charles Edward (ed.) (1912) [1911]. Microbiology: A Text-book of Microörganisms, General and Applied (PDF). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: P. Blakiston's Son & Co. p. 371. Retrieved 2007-08-21. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ "TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS: CHAPTER I, PART 131 MILK AND CREAM". Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR). 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2007-11-18.