I always avoided recipes that had buttermilk in them because I thought buttermilk was too expensive. But then I learned a quick way to make my own buttermilk using 2 simple ingredients I always have on hand. Milk and vinegar. Seriously, making buttermilk is that easy!
So although this method is not new to me, I want to thank One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Kathy for reminding me of this easy kitchen tip. Everyone should know about this, especially with baking season right around the corner.
Keep calm and bake on.
~Mavis
Ingredients
Milk {just under one cup}
1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice {I always use white vinegar}
Directions
Place a 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup, and add just enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
Let the mixture stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for. You can store extra buttermilk in the refrigerator for later use {I usually try and use up my extra buttermilk within a day or two though}.
*Thanks Kathy for the reminder, you rock!
Looking for more cool ways to use vinegar?
Check out our 10 Cool Uses for Vinegar post. You never know, you might learn something new.
Mari says
I have started using Milk Kefir (which we love) so I use this as buttermik or whey in baking.
Kathy says
Since no one here likes buttermilk, when I need it, I make it.
Carolyn says
this is a buttermilk subsitute when you don’t have real buttermilk but need sour milk for baking. I would not drink this thinking it is real buttermilk that you buy in a store. Real buttermilk can be made at home but it is fermented must like when you make home made yougert.
girl with dirty nails says
Lemon Juice works as well!
Mary says
I keep buttermilk in the fridge, as I use it down I add older fresh milk and shake it. By the time I am ready to use it again, it is cultured up and ready. Start with a good brand of buttermilk and you are good to go.
Crystal From Sew Creative Blog says
If you ever do buy buttermilk and don’t go through the whole container, freeze the leftovers and save it for the next time you need to do some buttermilk baking. 🙂
Mary says
I almost forgot, buttermilk also comes in powdered form as well so it is a pantry staple as well and very easy to use.
ann dziagwa says
When I was a kid 150 years ago my dad would make buttermilk out of a product called Sanalac (it was a powdered milk) and store bought cultured buttermilk . As I recall, it involved a big mixing bowl our piloted oven and a clean dish towel. What I dont remember is the amounts of powdered reconstituted milk and butter milk. He put the mixture in the oven overnight and the mext morning we had the best buttermilk I ever drank. Anyone know how to do this?
Practical Parsimony says
Ann Dzwiagwa,
Use one part buttermilk to three parts milk.
Lynnette says
How long does homemade buttermilk last? Of example, I want to make my own ranch dressing and I need to know how long it will keep in the fridge.
Practical Parsimony says
If I only need 3/4 cup of buttermilk, I just put less than 1 TBSP of vinegar and fill the measuring cup to 3/4 cup with milk. I have made buttermilk on the counter in the summer or if the kitchen is warm. Put one cut commercial buttermilk in a quart jar and add three cups of any milk. Leave on the counter from 8 to 12 hours. You can save the last cup to start more buttermilk. My mother made more buttermilk with powdered milk. I have used powdered milk, 2%, and whole milk. One pint of whole fat buttermilk is $1.45. The buttermilk I make is quite tasty. I love buttermilk but mostly cook with it.
Last month, I bought powdered buttermilk, a product that is excellent. I have never tried it before, but am happy with my purchase. The powdered buttermilk is stored in a Ball jar. I kept the directions. You can find this with powdered milk in the grocery store. Saco Cultured Buttermilk—> http://sacofoods.com/products/view/cultured-buttermilk
There are other powdered buttermilks. This is what I found in Walmart. You just mix it with water. If you look at the link, there is a chart to make as much or as little as you like. The milk+ vinegar or milk+ lemon has worked just fine for me for over 40 years. I just got the powder because I won’t need milk.
Charyl says
Has anyone tried making this with Coconut or Almond milk? That is the only kind of milk we keep in the house and was just curious.
Mavis says
I haven’t but I think it would really change the taste quite a bit. If you do try it, let us know how it goes.
Jenny says
So does this work with fresh milk only? We use long life, which comes in a box and lives on a shelf.
Sonya D McElwrath says
Thank u for the measurements, I knew it was milk and vinegar or lemon juice but I didn’t know the exact amounts of both to equal up to a cup of buttermilk!!
Kristin says
Can you make butter from homemade buttermilk?
Gena D. says
Will apple cider vinegar work or does it have to be white only? I’d hate to waste a cup of milk just to experiment and fail.