This for That {Buttermilk}

Ever go to make your favorite cake recipe and make it half way through

just to realize that you have no buttermilk!?

Well, there is a really easy remedy for that.

All you need is some milk or heavy cream and either vinegar or lemon juice.

You will add about 1 Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to every cup of milk or cream. Let it sit for a few minutes and now you have a buttermilk equivalent!

Some tips:

1} Heavy cream will give you a final product that is more like buttermilk due to the thickness.

2} Use a white or even apple cider vinegar for your buttermilk. Refrain from using red wine vinegar or other distinct tasting vinegars.

Other options:

You can also use yogurt as a buttermilk equivalent replacing it 1 to 1 or some people use 3/4 cup yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup milk for a thickness closer to buttermilk.

Or instead of using vinegar in your milk you could use 1 3/4 tsps cream of tartar.

Speaking of buttermilk... "What is Buttermilk?"

Well, if you take some heavy cream in a jar and shake it like a poloroid picture you will end up with a solid (butter!) and a liquid (buttermilk!).

Ohhhhhhhh!

"So, why does buttermilk have a tangy taste?"

Buttermilk is tangy due to the acid in it. Lactic acid to be specific.

Nowadays, most buttermilk is "cultured" in a factory meaning we take milk and add lactic acid to it. These acids cause the milk proteins to curdle, which makes buttermilk thicker

(and a bit more sour) than regular milk.

In the old days they used to just let it sit out for a few days and ferment....that works too. :)

"Can't we just use milk?"

Good question. We could. But when it comes to baking it makes some real nice fluffy cakes.

It is the same idea of adding vinegar to baking soda in chemistry class...when we add the acid (vinegar or buttermilk) to baking soda in our cake, a chemical reaction occurs and carbon dioxide (a gas) is released. The gas is inside the cake so it gets trapped as little tiny bubbles and expands with the heat. This expansion makes your cake rise and create fluffiness!

For cakes (or other desserts) made with baking soda there needs to be an acid to cause this reaction.

....and now you know!