How to make your own buttermilk substitute … kitchen helper
We’ve all been there – you’re happily cooking a recipe and then in the middle of it, you realise you don’t have a vital ingredient. If that ingredient is buttermilk – responsible for fluffy scones and pancakes, and the all-important marinade for buttermilk chicken – there’s no reason to rush out to the shops. Here’s how to make your own buttermilk substitute.
Traditionally, buttermilk is the liquid left behind after churning butter. Today a culture is added to milk to ferment it. This gives buttermilk a tangy flavour, although it has about the same fat content as ordinary milk. Its higher acid content reacts with raising agents in flour, creating bubbles which give a light and fluffy texture to baked goods like scones and muffins. In a buttermilk chicken marinade, the acid content tenderises the meat and the batter will also be light and fluffy.
There are two ways to make buttermilk substitute depending on what you have on hand in the fridge.
Method 1
Measure out the same amount of milk (cow’s or plant based) as you need buttermilk in your recipe. Stir in 3 teaspoons of either lemon juice or white vinegar for every 1 cup of milk. Stir well and let it stand for 5-10 minutes before using.
Method 2
Mix equal parts unflavoured yoghurt and milk together, or equal parts sour cream and water together. Stand for 5-10 minutes before using.
