Homemade Cultured Buttermilk is going to be a game changer for you. It’s literally as easy as mixing two things in a jar.
And whoa are you going to love having all that fresh homemade cultured buttermilk around. Read or scroll through to the end for great ideas on how to use up your real buttermilk.
I use a lot of homemade buttermilk. And by ‘a lot’ I mean a ton.
Many of my baked goods contain buttermilk. Much of my salad dressing uses buttermilk.
And my beloved, The Evil Genius? He drinks buttermilk.
Now before any of you out there yawp with a resounding, “EW!” let me just mention that millions of Southerners and displaced Southerners are right now saying, “Mmmmmmmm! A nice tall glass of buttermilk with salt and pepper sounds mighty fine right now.”
A reminder: never yuck another person’s yum. Unless we’re talking durian, then all bets are off… (You may want to read about my family vs. Durian.)
We go through a lot of the stuff. And I may have mentioned that I live in the middle of nowhere in Amish country before (or a million times before, but who’s counting?) so frequent last minute trips to the store are not convenient.
How to Make Real Buttermilk
There are probably quite a few of you out there saying, “Oh please. All you have to do is add a little vinegar or lemon juice to milk and you get the same thing. Why buy buttermilk?”
See? I just knew someone out there was saying it. Not so fast! It’s not the same thing. To prove my point, I have to talk science for a moment.
While the acidified milk might give you the same tang of buttermilk, it lacks woefully in the texture and viscosity department.
Buttermilk is used in recipes for several important reasons. First, it is acidic, so it helps invigorate leavening agents -such as baking powder, baking soda and yeast- when added to baked goods.
The acid also helps combat discoloration in baked goods and promotes deep, beautiful browning. Buttermilk contains natural emulsifiers; this improves texture and aroma, and extends shelf life after baking.
The acidity of your homemade cultured buttermilk makes it a wonderful addition to marinades for chicken and pork. The acid helps tenderize the meat and gives it a tangy flavor.
Cultured Buttermilk
You know the ‘cultured’ part of cultured buttermilk? It’s good for you.
It contains many active cultures similar to those found in yogurt. Most of the cultures generally found in buttermilk are form the Lactococcus Lactis family and many of their subspecies.
Those cultures are what make homemade cultured buttermilk so thick and creamy. And what? Good for you!
Now that you know more than you probably ever wanted to know about buttermilk let’s get onto the ‘Why make my own?’ thing. Because you can.
Seriously. You need more than that?
Okay. Also make it because it’s dirt cheap, it’s super simple, it’s really fun and you’ll never run out of buttermilk again.
Hang on one second. Someone out there just said, “I never use a whole thing of buttermilk. What do I do with all that buttermilk?” I’m so glad you asked. How about a few of these ideas:
Perfect, flaky, Homemade Buttermilk Biscuit Take it from me, these buttermilk biscuits would do my Arkansas Grandma proud… They’re lofty, flaky, tender, and utterly divine.
Bacon and Swiss Rye Muffins These are every bit as good as they sound and as easy as pie. No wait! They’re easier than pie. Pie can be hard.
Grandma’s Buttermilk Cornbread This is my Grandma’s buttermilk cornbread recipe and it is ridiculously delicious and the ultimate comfort food.
Buttermilk Cornbread Rounds Based on my Grandma’s Buttermilk Cornbread recipe, these perfectly portioned cornbread rounds fit neatly in the hand and go anywhere cornbread goes, but look cuter doing it! This one’s going a little way back in the FWF archives.
Buttermilk Pancakes Nothing beats beautiful, light, airy buttermilk pancakes smothered in real maple syrup. Nothing. This one’s also reaching way back.
Garam Masala Depression Cake from Val. Nothin’ depressing about THAT cake, I’ll tell you. We’re talking about a decadent, Garam Masala flavored chocolate cake with orange buttercream and toasted coconut.
Oh my. I only take issue with the number of servings Val specified in it. It looks like a one-person cake to me.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention these others…
- Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies (Drop scones)
- Extra Crispy Fried Chicken Fingers (The Evil Genius can cook!)
- Cornbread Salad
Are you good and hungry yet? Excellent. Let’s make some buttermilk. I promise it doesn’t take but two shakes.
Homemade Cultured Buttermilk
Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk (from the store or home cultured)
- 1 to 2 quarts skim,1%, 2%, or whole milk from the store or raw milk
Also needed:
- 1 clean, dry quart or half gallon jar with a tight fitting two piece lid.
Okay. Ready? If you blink you’ll miss how to do it.
Pour buttermilk (1/4 cup for a quart jar or 1/2 cup for a half gallon jar) into your clean jar. Top off the jar with your plain milk.
Tightly screw lid to the jar and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Place in a warm (but not hot) area out of direct sunlight.
Let it sit there for 12 to 24 hours, until thickened. Refrigerate when thick.
Use within two weeks. If you re-culture this regularly, you can carry on re-culturing indefinitely.
Now here’s a glimpse of my finished product. Note that mine is super thick. I used raw, whole milk to culture my buttermilk. If you use skim, it may end up a little thinner than what you see here.
Homemade Cultured Buttermilk
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk from the store or home cultured
- 1 to 2 quarts skim 1%, 2%, or whole milk from the store or raw milk
- Also needed:
- 1 clean dry quart or half gallon jar with a tight fitting two piece lid.
Instructions
- Okay. Ready? If you blink you’ll miss how to do it.
- Pour buttermilk (1/4 cup for a quart jar or 1/2 cup for a half gallon jar) into your clean jar. Top off the jar with your plain milk. Tightly screw lid to the jar and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Place in a warm (but not hot) area out of direct sunlight. Let it sit there for 12 to 24 hours, until thickened. Refrigerate when thick. Use within two weeks.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and #hashtag it #foodiewithfamily so I can check it out!
This recipe was originally posted March 24, 2010, and was updated with photos, links, and improved notes March 2021.
Reader's Thoughts...
Jan says
I really want to make homemade bmilk but right now the only milk available to me is unhom. store bought milk. I’m worried about leaving this milk on the counter for 12 to 24 hrs. Is it safe to leave this out over night. If you could answer this I would love it!
Mandy says
I just wanted you to know I have been making this buttermilk since you posted this and I love it! Thanks so much, I bake a lot so I use a lot of buttermilk, and I love being able to make my own- better, cheaper and ready when I need it!
I just have to be sure to leave a note under the jar saying “leave out” so no one does me the favor of putting the buttermilk in the fridge when it is being cultured.
Becky says
I’m am so glad I found your excellent post. I’ve been getting raw milk (Jersey cows; delicious) for about a month now, but since I have to drive 40 minutes one way to pick it up, I felt compelled to get TWO gallons a week (it’s only $3 a gallon) so I didn’t run out (or use up more “food miles” than my conscience would allow…).
But, this has meant I’m often left with milk, at the end of the week. A friend sent me some of her kefir grains, and after my initial fear, that’s working great and we’re enjoying our home made kefir. BUT that didn’t use up enough.
So…I found this page! And it worked! Beautifully, in fact, and almost 24 hours to the minute, from when I started it. (Mine is yellower than your picture, because the cows are now on grass, and their milk has turned yellow) It feels like magic…like alchemy! I’ve turned straw into gold, I’ve found an endless supply of the Good Stuff. Almost still can’t believe it, but there it is, in the jar, labeled and ready to make delicious foods.
Thanks so much for the excellent instructions and pictures.
Trish says
Thanks, Rebecca! I truly appreciate the information! I’ll let you know how the experiment goes. 😛
Trish says
I’m on a “homemade” mission as of late and plan on making butter tomorrow. I apologize for the novice question that will soon follow…Is the liquid that remains after making butter considered buttermilk? Would the remnants be “cultured buttermilk” or is there a process that would transform them into this much sought after substance? I only ask because I plan on making cream cheese with the “buttermilk” after the butter experiment is complete. Thanks for any insight you have to offer!
Rebecca says
Hiya Trish- Great question! When you make butter, the liquid that comes off is indeed old-fashioned buttermilk. It is a very low-fat product as most of the fat globules have gone into the butter. Old-fashioned buttermilk, because of it’s incredibly low fat content, is not usually used in cheese making. I have not used it successfully for cheese making.
Cultured buttermilk, as purchased in stores, is generally a direct-cultured (i.e. good bacterial cultures directly introduced to) skim milk. It is also low-fat, but the cultures thicken it. You could do an experiment with the old-fashioned buttermilk by adding 1 part store-bought cultured buttermilk to 3 parts old-fashioned buttermilk, shaking, and leaving at room temperature for 24 hours. If it clabbers (thickens) then it is now cultured low-fat buttermilk.
Susan says
Lucky you having friends with cows! My next new bff will surely have to own at least one cow….lol.
Rebecca says
Susan- You are most welcome! And there really is nothing like homemade creme fraiche, is there? You’re absolutely right about how finding non-ultrapasteurized cream is the tricky part. Even when you’re watching for it it’s hard to find. Booo. I just hit up my friends with dairy cows. 🙂
Susan says
Thanks so much for the buttermilk recipe. After I made some I remembered hearing Paula Dean mentioning on her show that you could make creme fraiche. I did some searching and found it!!! To one cup of heavy cream (not ultra pastuerized) add either 2 tablespoons of sour cream or buttermilk and keep out at room temperature (covered) for at least 4 hours or overnight. After it’s thickened, cover with cling wrap and put it in the refrigerator. This is much cheaper than creme fraiche but it may take some looking to find the heavy cream that is not ultra pasteurized. Some health food stores have it and I found it at Trader Joe’s.
Rebecca says
Lisa Glad you found me! (Thank you, Krysta!)
Mayberry Magpie- Hi Joan! You got it right. Reculturing is just taking a little of the current batch to make a new batch. It’s like the dairy gift that keeps on giving.
Ranee- Bad is good! Down with government! (That’s a ‘The Tick’ quote in case my nefarious blog is being monitored.)
Traci- You are mighty welcome! Thanks for being here.
Sascha-Thanks for the sweet award and thank you for raising an adventurous eater!
Christine-) You can definitely mix and match your starter and milk butterfat. Go where your whimsy takes you! It’s very forgiving… And thank YOU for everything. It’s nice to know people are playing along in the kitchen with me. 🙂
Liam-First, great name. I’m pretty partial to it myself… 🙂 Second, you’re welcome. It’s fun, isn’t it?
DanaMc-Yay! I’m excited that you’re excited. And I’m glad Lisa’s bringing her friends along. Party at my house. I’ll provide the buttermilk. 🙂
Bridget Shields says
Just tried making my first batch of fresh buttermilk. It is as thick as yogurt. Is that how it should be? Thanks! Bridget
Rebecca says
Absolutely, Bridget! Mine is always thick like yogurt. That means you did it right. 🙂
DanaMc says
Ooh, I’m very excited about this. I’m one of those ppl who has a buttermilk container sitting in the fridge since the last time I needed it – wondering if buttermilk can actually “go bad.”
But, if I made a science project out of it, I might be more “vested” in the project. Perhaps I would make some of those scrumptious looking buttermilk pancakes or garam masala cake you featured! Yum!
(Waves at Darcy and Lisa.)
Lisa – thanks for telling us about this gal.
Looks like this blog is a keeper – adding it to my read regularly list 🙂
DanaMc
Liam O'Malley says
Very cool post!
I have been making “buttermilk” with vinegar for awhile now and I’m actually glad to see a better method. I don’t really use a lot of buttermilk so I hate having to buy it for just a small amount and then always wasting the rest when it goes bad.
Thanks Rebecca!
Christine says
Hi from up in Canada in Vancouver! I learned of your site some time ago from Food and Whine and have been quietly making TONS of your stuff and failing to thank you or comment on how marvelous it has all been (ok I was worried about the black beans when I tasted part way through, but they were great and perfect with the also muy delicioso cuban pork)!
On to buttermilk. The current buttermilk in my fridge (hopefully destined for some kind of supermoist and dense lemon poppyseed or blueberry muffin or bread – got a favourite recipe for that?) doesn’t say “cultured” but the ingredient list mentions bacterial culture – do you think I can assume I’ve got the right stuff? Does it matter if I top off whole milk “starter” with skim milk or vice versa? I think it would be handy to have both on hand…
Final confession – being especially northern I don’t drink buttermilk, but really love extensively tasting raw batter for baked goods that contain it…. I bet everybody else does too!
Thanks for everything!
Sasha says
I am raising my 9 month old daughter to be a good eater (I hope lol) and somehow ended up on your web site. I love your photos and writing. By the way, you’ve almost convinced me to try drinking buttermilk!!
I got a recognition award from a fellow blogger the other day. Very Nice. I was asked to pass it on to other bloggers I like. You are on the list. Check out the posting at my blog, Global Table…
Sasha
Traci says
I love love love this post!! Recipes that use buttermilk are my fav..but it’s so expensive! I normally do the whole lemon juice trick…but never again! Thanks for saving us more money and making our food better! 🙂
Ranee @ Arabian Knits says
We do this too! I love sticking it to the man. 🙂
Mayberry Magpie says
You have just changed my life! I NEVER have buttermilk on hand so I’ve been making it the vinegar route but thinking it’s not as good. Who knew I could culture my own and it would keep for 2 weeks?!
By reculture, do you mean taking some of the old buttermilk and mixing with the new milk and repeating the process? Just want to make sure I do this right.
Marquita says
That’s what I need to know!
Liz says
Of course I need buttermilk NOW. So, I’m going to make the lemon version. This is so my stomach doesn’t get to I’ll watching the milk curdle. I know the benefits to buttermilk. What I need to understand is this if you don’t mind explaining. If I start buttermilk without ever buying true buttermilk to start. I let it stay out for 24 hours and the next day i use it for baking. Then I save the remaining 1/4 cup and mix milk and lemon juice again at some point have I achieved a true buttermilk? After all it sat out for 24 hours once. I waited to add to baking. Then i add lemon juice again wait 24 hours store in refrigerator and 2 weeks later bake with it have i curated my own buttermilk? If not what is different from the buttermilk in the store to mine going sour/tangy by lemon n waiting 24 hours? It needs to start somewhere couldn’t this be the method to start and store for time after time? If not what did I miss? I do know a woman who has been doing this for years. After CDC reading your posts and blog and in need of buttermilk what I thought of her Ross method now seems to be sounding pretty good. I’ve also in the past bought buttermilk… inexperienced I thought it went bad when two weeks went by. Sickened by its considerable smell n texture I threw it out. Ouch! I know it was pricey n now a pricey mistake. So many of the recipes I enjoy call for buttermilk n I just ignore it. No more I will dive in to the deep end as pre n pro biotics are good for fighting cancer and such. I need the help so considering what I have had to do to keep living buttermilk is now a neccessary part of my life and I may have to drink this daily. Problem I’m lactose intolerant and don’t drink milk. So much I can’t eat or drink but now I need to think for myself. I’m alive because I did eat healthy for the last 40 years the first 20 I don’t believe it was available to me. So my quest is for digestive health. There is no cure for what ales my rate condition bnb or that of my adult kids now. We fight for the last 15 years for health n our lives. Buttermilk doesn’t seem so awful now. My daughter consumes so much yogurt and yeast she fairs better than me. Also, she does well with spicy foods I do not. Coffee has also changed her health . Go figure. As my son has aged he is in my boat. She is approaching 31 now and he is approaching 35 so I gather the age has something to do with the changes to consumption of certain foods and our illness. I do believe we are what we eat. Boy do I miss pizza!! I also miss a large salad a plate of artichokes or simply spinach or a potato. Oh well I digress. Plz let me know what you consider regarding the starter fast but slow from home never a store. After all it started somehow at home this process before a supermarket lived.
Rebecca says
I’m not entirely sure I know what you’re asking but there are two kinds of buttermilk: the kind created when you make butter (this is old fashioned buttermilk and has no probiotics) or cultured buttermilk (which is what you get when you purchase buttermilk at the store.) If you simply leave milk out overnight without adding a culture to it (like from one purchased at the store) you are not achieving a cultured buttermilk, you’re simply souring milk. I’d advise purchasing one batch of buttermilk and reculturing it.
You’ll need to do that from time to time to keep the culture fresh as it will tire itself out after being recultured several times.
Kristie says
I’m confused. Your recipe says, “if you reculture regularly, you can carry on indefinitely,” but this post says you you need to start with store bought buttermilk from time to time because the culture gets tired. Can you clarify that for me, and how do I know it’s getting tired?
Rebecca says
Hi Kristie! As long as your buttermilk is culturing (which you’ll know by the pleasant, tangy aroma and the thickening) you can carry on indefinitely. This is best accomplished by reculturing very regularly (1 to 2x per week), which is more than even I usually use. 🙂 When you reculture it and it is very slow to culture or it doesn’t produce that nice tangy smell and thickness, you may want to grab some from the store. I kept one batch reculturing for 8 months with success, but then I let my batch sit a little too long and wasn’t able to use that one to start a new one. So it’s a little bit of both. Just be prepared to have to buy some from time to time to kick start your buttermilk.
Jhansi S says
In India, we make yogurt in the same fashion. I boil 1 quart of 2% or whole milk and let it cool. Then add 2 tbsp of the live (old) culture, stir the milk and leave it in a warm place for 4-6 hrs undisturbed. Voila, its ready! I’ve re-cultured for more than 2 decades now.
We make cultured buttermilk after whipping/ churning yogurt (with some water) in a blender. Remove the top cream/ butter that floats and the residue is buttermilk. Enjoy! (You can also use the 1/4 cup yogurt culture with 1% milk or skim milk and the product will be cultured butter milk)
Rebecca says
Thanks so much, Jhansi! I love hearing you’ve had success with this for a good long time!
Bella says
Yes the directions were unclear to us new to the buttermilk process . So excited to make this fir a ranch salad dressing recipe I found
Lisa@The Cutting Edge of Ordinary says
Homemade buttermilk…I’m in. Found you via Krysta the ECM! Looks like a great site. I will be back. Hey Darcy! (I see familiar faces!)
Amanda says
Brilliant! I am always looking for ways to make things at home and save some money. I have a question though. How do you re-culture the mixture?
Rebecca says
Amanda- Good question. You save the last 1/4 cup of the jar of buttermilk you made and pour it into a clean jar which you top off with fresh milk, shake, and let rest at room temperature again. If you re-culture it at least once a week and use clean jars, you should be able to re-culture indefinitely!
Arenda says
Can you use half and half?
Rebecca says
Hi there- I believe you can. I think it’ll be richer and probably thicker, but I see no reason it wouldn’t work theoretically. 🙂 That said, I haven’t tried it, so it’s kind of uncharted territory in practice.
bellini valli says
Bittermilk is sipposed to be good for you so I will never pshaw at your love for it. It makes the best pancakes and cakes ever.
Rebecca says
Thanks for the support Valli!
Darcy- Not a silly question at all! I specified the two-piece lid because it is what more folks have available to them. If you have another equally tight fitting lid, you can certainly use that in place of the two-piece lid! I’m not a milk drinker either, but I certainly do enough cooking with it.
Alan Sader says
I don’t drink a lot of milk either but coming coming in to the house from the hot afternoon work in the garden I can put away a pint a cold buttermilk in just a few minutes.
Rebecca says
Well, this is the recipe for you, Alan. 🙂
Darcy says
Silly question, I’m sure, but I’m just learning so much stuff lately. Why does it need to be a 2 part lid? Because you were so specific in the direction, I just wanted to be ask in case I was missing something along the way.
I’m looking forward to this, actually. I’ll be one of those that says ewwwwwwwwww because I hate milk. Really. I’m transitioning my kids back to whole milk, but they aren’t buttermilk fans, either. However, even if we’re not drinking it, I definitely want to be cooking/baking with it more.
Dave Gills says
The earlier you can start kids on buttermilk the better. If it is a fun time and the whole family is enjoying, it so much the better.pay no attention to nor prepare special foods for the pouter. I’m old a d the generations that have followed me are all buttermilk lovers, so it works.
When I was a kid (how often have you heard this) Sunday morning was devoted to devouring the gallon of buttermilk bought the day before. It was consumed with salt pepper and chunks of bread stirred in while reading the Sunday funniest the floor.
Roger says
I see people doing that in older based movies
Nicole says
I still do it! Yummmm!
Carole says
Buttermilk is good when frying chicken and my favorite is hot cornbread in buttermilk
Rebecca says
Oooh yes!!! My grandma used to serve hot cornbread in buttermilk as a treat for herself!