£7.75 £5.99
Our organic cultured buttermilk starter produces a tangy-flavoured thick milk product that can be enjoyed raw or used for baking. Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus bulgaricus are the bacteria responsible for fermenting milk into buttermilk. Cultured buttermilk is fermented at room temperate meaning no additional equipment is needed to create it. It is a fermented alternative to regular milk.
Cultured buttermilk, often known simply as “buttermilk”, was first commercially introduced in the United States in the 1920s. It was popular among immigrants and viewed as food that could slow ageing. Up until the 1960s, buttermilk was a popular addition to any kitchen. Sadly, yoghurt quickly become the consumer favourite fermented milk product, and slowly cultured buttermilk fell into decline around the world.
Cultured Buttermilk is often used in baking because of its special properties. Many people use buttermilk in baking as it brings a pleasant tang to cakes, bread, biscuits, pancakes, or dressings. Because this rich-tasting milk is an acidic ingredient, like yoghurt and sour cream, it also gives baked goods a softer texture and more body, and it helps quick bread rise.
Please note: Cooking with high temperatures will kill the bacteria in buttermilk.
Allergens – Contains milk (cows).
Recommended activation date for culture:
1 year from the date of shipping. Best stored in the freezer if the product can not be activated on arrival.
Please note that we do not send printed copies of instructions with your purchase. If you would like to have a printed version, you can open a printable PDF by clicking here.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Organic buttermilk starters are freeze dried and can be stored at room temperature until the activation date on the back of the packet. If you do not plan to activate the buttermilk before that date, it can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 years.
A glass jar and a breathable cover such as a muslin cloth or paper towel.
Pasteurised whole milk.
To activate the organic buttermilk starter, boil 150ml of whole pasteurised milk and allow it to cool back to room temperature. We recommend boiling the milk for the activation stage so that any microbes in the milk are killed off, giving the starter the best chance of success, Put the milk into a jar (ideally 1 litre capacity). Place the sachet of freeze dried buttermilk into the milk and cover the jar to stop dust getting in. Do not cut off the airflow completely. A paper towel fastened with a rubber band works well. Leave it at room temperature for 24-72 hours until you notice that the milk has set. Then proceed with the steps listed below.
Buttermilk will work great with any type of animal milk. This includes goats, sheep and buffalo milk.
Sadly not. Buttermilk requires lactose present in animal milk to successfully ferment.
Yes, you can. However, we would still recommend you follow the activation process with pasteurised milk. Another thing to note is that due to the high microbe and bacterial levels present in raw milk, the buttermilk starter will compete for dominance. This can lead to a thinner consistency overall.
You can freeze the buttermilk for short periods of time (1-3 months). Beyond that, the bacteria will start to decline.
You can also dehydrate the stater by pasting a thin layer onto parchment paper and leaving it to dry in a well-ventilated area. Dehydrated starters can be kept in the freezer for a number of years without losing potency.
Sadly neither of these methods are full proof and we can not guarantee they will always work. Overall though success rates are very high. The best way to preserve the bacteria in the starter it to use a freeze-dry method which requires specialist equipment.
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