Buttermilk is an ingredient called for in many recipes. Yet unless you do a lot of cooking and baking, is an item that most people do not keep in the refrigerator. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to make a buttermilk substitution that works and tastes the same as the real thing. One way to do this is with regular milk and plain, white household vinegar.
Step 1:
Measure 1 tbsp. of white vinegar into a 1-cup measuring cup.
Step 2:
Fill the measuring cup with regular whole or skim milk.
Step 3:
Stir gently to distribute the vinegar throughout the milk.
Step 4:
Let the mixture sit for five minutes so that the milk begins to coagulate slightly.
Step 5:
Use the buttermilk substitution in any recipe calling for buttermilk as one of the ingredients.
Step 6:
Store unused portions of buttermilk in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.
Tips
- Lemon juice can be used in place of the vinegar as well. Use the same proportions of 1 tbsp. to 1 cup of milk. Larger batches of buttermilk substitution can be made using 1 pint of yogurt blended into 1 quart of milk. Buttermilk can be kept in the refrigerator for two to three days. After that period, it should be discarded, as it will only become more bitter in taste with age. Buttermilk can be substituted for milk in almost all recipes, especially biscuits and pancakes. It adds a richer taste to the final product. Buttermilk can be substituted for sour cream in some recipes, such as stroganoffs. Use half as much buttermilk in the recipe than the sour cream called for (example: 1 cup sour cream equals 1/2 cup buttermilk).