# What can I cook with Buttermilk?



## Robin

So tonight I made my fried chicken which I always use buttermilk for. Problem is the smaller cartoon of buttermilk was more expensive than the 1/2 gallon Kroger brand. I hate to waste so much! So what else can I do with buttermilk? Nothing too elaborate please! I used about half the cartoon for the chicken.


----------



## FrankZ

I am a sucker for buttermilk pancakes....


----------



## Robin

Hmm. I do have pancake mix! Thanks for the idea. 

Any others?


----------



## FrankZ

You don't need no mix...

Cup buttermilk
Cup flour
2tbl sugar
pinch salt
tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
3Tbs butter


Mix the dry stuff together
melt the butter and mix the wet stuff together
Mix the two parts together gently, if too thick thin with a bit more buttermilk (or regular) and ladle onto a hot griddle.

Flip, plate, eat, enjoy.


----------



## Steve Kroll

Whenever I have leftover buttermilk I usually make banana bread. 

Well... provided I also have leftover bananas. 

Homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is another option.


----------



## buckytom

buttermilk is a great marinade base.

mix 2 cups buttermilk and a good squirt of hot sauce, toss in oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, etc., and marinate for an hour. add powdered cayenne for more heat.
,
toss marinated seafood in seasoned flour,

deep fry at 375 for just a minute or so until golden.

serve on tartar sauced toasted buns.


----------



## Bolas De Fraile

We can only buy buttermilk in little pots, I use quite a lot making Irish Soda Bread and Serbian Proja (cornbread) and scones. Has anyone tried to make it?


----------



## Zereh

Here's something I've bookmarked for next time I make pancakes. If you try it, let us know how it turns out! 

*Buttermilk Caramel Syrup*

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter*
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

In a large saucepan, bring buttermilk, sugars, and butter to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat andwhisk  in soda and vanilla. It will bubble up a lot. Hopefully you used a large saucepan like I told you. As it cools, the bubbles will go away.

**Notes:*

-The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup  butter. I cut back to 1/4 cup to save my waistline and my husband’s cholesterol, but you can feel free to use all of it if you so desire. I won’t stand in your way.

-This stuff is so delicious, we haven’t gone back to maple syrup. We also use it on buttermilk pancakes, waffles, and German pancakes. It can also be served over ice cream.

-Several readers have asked how long this will keep in the refrigerator. I’m not exactly sure because with 4 hungry boys we finish things off pretty fast. But I know we’ve kept some for at least 2-3 months and it was just fine.


----------



## Robo410

pancakes waffles biscuits corn bread all respond well to buttermilk.  Use in mashed potatoes. Use as marinade for chicken, calamari, batter dip for catfish.  Use in smoothies in place of yogurt. Buttermilk will keep longer than whole milk in your fridge.


----------



## CWS4322

You can freeze buttermilk. I usually freeze it in one cup containers to use later. It does tend to seperate, but it works for baking. Buttermilk waffles are great. I use the recipe in Better Homes and Gardens "red and white" cookbook. I add freshly ground cardamon and orange zest.

Here's a link with a bunch of recipes using buttermilk: 

All buttermilk recipes | quick and easy free printable buttermilk recipe

I like to mix it with half and half with orange juice or lemonade for a refreshing beverage when it is hot outside--a treat we used to drink on the Island of Juist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juist). But I guess the taste of buttermilk is an acquired taste. It is a probiotic, so it is good for you <g>.


----------



## Bolas De Fraile

Thanks for the link CW.........In the style of Homer S Buttermilk Donuts


----------



## JGDean

*Making Buttermilk*



Bolas De Fraile said:


> We can only buy buttermilk in little pots, I use quite a lot making Irish Soda Bread and Serbian Proja (cornbread) and scones. Has anyone tried to make it?


 Although I wouldn't neccessarily drink it, You can make buttermilk using cream of tartar or lemon juice and regular milk. 1 cup of milk to 1 T cot *or *lemon juice. Stir every few minutes and after 15 minutes or so you have "buttermilk" If you leave it too long you will need to stir it really well because it will curdle. It work OK in cooking or baking.


----------



## CWS4322

I don't know why people don't drink buttermilk--when I go to the States, I always buy 1 gal of buttermilk--it is so much cheaper in the States. Going down Thursday to get car parts...if you like yogurt drinks, making them with buttermilk works (smoothies). And, I have powdered buttermilk (notice PF, I did not abbreviate that to bm this time <g>) on hand for baking. I also add buttermilk to my sr. dogs' food--probiotic and an appetite stimulator. My mother won't eat yogurt, but I can always get her to drink buttermilk when I'm there. I guess it is a holdover from when she was growing up and the neighbour had a milkhouse and kept buttermilk in the summer in it...one of the Saints I fostered (and then adopted) would only eat his food with buttermilk on it for about the first 4 months I had him.


----------



## Zhizara

I love buttermilk.  I'd never have any for cooking if I kept it on hand.


----------



## CWS4322

Zhizara said:


> I love buttermilk. I'd never have any for cooking if I kept it on hand.


 That's why I buy a gallon when I go to the States...if I don't freeze some of it, I tend to drink it! My latest thing is to add about 1 T of pomagrante syrup to it...tart, sweet, yum...


----------



## Timothy

Robin said:


> So tonight I made my fried chicken which I always use buttermilk for. Problem is the smaller cartoon of buttermilk was more expensive than the 1/2 gallon Kroger brand. I hate to waste so much! So what else can I do with buttermilk? Nothing too elaborate please! I used about half the cartoon for the chicken.


 
It's the same way at my store. The half gallon is a buck less than the quart. Weird.

I freeze mine. The only thing I use mine for is as a treat for my cat Dinky. It takes a day out of the freezer into the fridge to thaw it, then, a good shake and it seems just as good as before freezing.

I'll have to try your pancake recipe Frank. I love pancakes but seldom eat them because I can only eat two and I'm stuffed. Hardly seems worthwhile to make enough batter for only two pancakes.

Maybe I can scale the recipe down to make only enough for a couple pancakes. It makes me crazy to waste food.


----------



## FrankZ

I feed Kathleen and I on that recipe.


----------



## pacanis

I made some cupcakes that used buttermilk, the recipe is here.
I also soaked a tenderized pork loin in buttermilk to make a deep fried pork loin sandwich.
And I dumped the rest...
I have a hard time using buttermilk up because I don't like the taste on its own.


----------



## Girl49

*Tomato Buttermilk Sauce*

I LOVE buttermilk pancakes, too...I make them with whole wheat flour. 

Another idea: Ever used the old "Laurel's Kitchen" cookbook? It has an excellent recipe for a tomato buttermilk sauce that I make and use for a beef stroganoff-type dish that goes great with noodles. Something like this:

*Saute half a chopped onion in 2 TBS butter (can use oil, but butter tastes better).
*Mix in 2 TBS flour.
*Stir in 2 TBS tomato paste, 1 tsp basil, a little salt and pepper, and a dash of garlic powder.
*Add 1 C buttermilk and heat gently (don't simmer).
*Stir in already-cooked strips of beef (sliced flank steak or other lean cut). 

I love this!


----------



## Hammster

Use buttermilk in place of regular milk in your favorite cornbread recipe. 
Buttermilk gives ice cream a great flavor. Almost like frozen yogurt with just that bit of tang.
If you have a bread recipe that calls for milk, try subbing in some buttermilk instead. 
All sorts of uses.


----------



## CWS4322

pacanis said:


> I made some cupcakes that used buttermilk, the recipe is here.
> I also soaked a tenderized pork loin in buttermilk to make a deep fried pork loin sandwich.
> And I dumped the rest...
> I have a hard time using buttermilk up because I don't like the taste on its own.


 You didn't give it to the chickens? My hens LOVE buttermilk (yogurt, sour cream, sour milk, and cottage cheese).


----------



## CWS4322

Timothy said:


> It's the same way at my store. The half gallon is a buck less than the quart. Weird.
> 
> I freeze mine. The only thing I use mine for is as a treat for my cat Dinky. It takes a day out of the freezer into the fridge to thaw it, then, a good shake and it seems just as good as before freezing.
> 
> I'll have to try your pancake recipe Frank. I love pancakes but seldom eat them because I can only eat two and I'm stuffed. Hardly seems worthwhile to make enough batter for only two pancakes.
> 
> Maybe I can scale the recipe down to make only enough for a couple pancakes. It makes me crazy to waste food.


Timothy--make buttermilk waffles instead. I freeze the extras--they make great "toaster" waffles (toaster oven) or reheat them in the oven.


----------



## pacanis

CWS4322 said:


> You didn't give it to the chickens? My hens LOVE buttermilk (yogurt, sour cream, sour milk, and cottage cheese).


 
No, I didn't think you could because of that whole lactose intolerance thing. I know yogurt is OK, but I know milk isn't OK and I lumped buttermilk in with regular milk.


----------



## buckytom

they say birds are lactose intolerant, but i've given my parrots lots of cheese and yoghurt over the past 24 years, and they've never suffered any ill effects. in fact, birds, especially egg layers are often times defficient in calcium and vitamin d (d3 actually), so giving them dairy is a good thing for them.


----------



## Girl49

CWS4322 said:


> My latest thing is to add about 1 T of pomagrante syrup to it...tart, sweet, yum...


 
I also LOVE to drink buttermilk. When I was little, my grandmother used to put a spot of salt in it and give it to us. A treat, still.


----------



## buckytom

i wonder how good buttermilk would be in making ice cream?


----------



## CWS4322

pacanis said:


> No, I didn't think you could because of that whole lactose intolerance thing. I know yogurt is OK, but I know milk isn't OK and I lumped buttermilk in with regular milk.


My chickens haven't died from buttermilk. It is a probiotic like yogurt...not the same as "sweet" milk.


----------



## CWS4322

buckytom said:


> i wonder how good buttermilk would be in making ice cream?


 
Buttermilk is EXCELLENT for ice cream...not to mention buttermilk pie.


----------



## CWS4322

buckytom said:


> they say birds are lactose intolerant, but i've given my parrots lots of cheese and yoghurt over the past 24 years, and they've never suffered any ill effects. in fact, birds, especially egg layers are often times defficient in calcium and vitamin d (d3 actually), so giving them dairy is a good thing for them.


 
And, what do you think I do with the egg shells? What kind of parrots do you have?


----------



## babetoo

when i was a girl , my dad and i would put leftover cornbread in buttermilk and eat it with blue cheese bites. the rest of the family thought we were nuts but we loved it.


----------



## buckytom

CWS4322 said:


> And, what do you think I do with the egg shells? What kind of parrots do you have?



i have an african grey, 24 y.o., and a moluccan cockatoo, 17 y.o..


----------



## JGDean

*Spike Loves Dairy*



buckytom said:


> they say birds are lactose intolerant, but i've given my parrots lots of cheese and yoghurt over the past 24 years, and they've never suffered any ill effects. in fact, birds, especially egg layers are often times defficient in calcium and vitamin d (d3 actually), so giving them dairy is a good thing for them.


 
My cockatoo loves milk, buttermilk, cheese, yogurt, & ice cream. Don't try to drink milk without offering some to him. Your ears will suffer for it. My African grey would have liked to have lived on only cheese.


----------



## JGDean

*Yes, Maam!*



babetoo said:


> when i was a girl , my dad and i would put leftover cornbread in buttermilk and eat it with blue cheese bites. the rest of the family thought we were nuts but we loved it.


 
Me too, with lots of fresh ground pepper. What are blue cheese bites?


----------



## blissful

Ranch type vegetable dip:
In a blender, 1 cup mayo, 1 cup buttermilk, minced garlic to taste, S&P, chopped parsley, 5 saltine or townhouse crackers. Blend until smooth and refrigerate. It thickens  up.
This is so great for dipping broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, radishes and more.


----------



## chrisbrooks

Presumably you have gotten through your buttermilk by now, but the next time Kroger over-packages it's dairy products don't forget about buttermilk chocolate cake. It's our kids' favorite.


----------

