Buttermilk? What the Heck? I don't have any in da house! Can I substitute?

Does buttermilk contain butter?

Many folks labor under the misconception that buttermilk is basically a buttery, high-fat milk. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

You might be surprised to learn there is no butter, per se, in buttermilk, and it is lower in fat than sweet milk.

What the heck is buttermilk?


Buttermilk is a fermented dairy product produced from cows' milk with a characteristically sour taste. The product is made in one of two ways. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream. In India, buttermilk, widely known as "chaas" is known to be the liquid leftover after extracting butter from churned curd (dei). Today, this is called traditional buttermilk. On the other hand artificially made buttermilk, also known as cultured buttermilk, is a product where lactic acid bacteria called Streptococcus lactis have been added to milk.[1] So-called "Bulgarian buttermilk" is created with a different strain of bacteria called Lactobacillus bulgaricus which creates more tartness.
Whether traditional or cultured, the tartness of buttermilk is due to the presence of acid in the milk. The increased acidity is primarily due to lactic acid, a by-product naturally produced by lactic acid bacteria while fermenting lactose, the primary sugar found in milk. As lactic acid is produced by the bacteria, the pH of the milk decreases and casein, the primary protein in milk, precipitates causing the curdling or clabbering of milk. This process makes buttermilk thicker than plain milk. While both traditional and cultured buttermilk contain lactic acid, traditional buttermilk tends to be thinner whereas cultured buttermilk is much thicker.
In the early 1900s, cultured buttermilk was labeled artificial buttermilk, to differentiate it from traditional buttermilk, which was also known as natural or ordinary buttermilk.
Acidified buttermilk is a related product that is made by adding a food-grade acid to milk.

What if I don't have buttermilk in the house? Can I substitute anything for it?

• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk PLUS 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (let stand for 10 minutes before using in recipe)
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk PLUS 1-3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup water PLUS 4 Tablespoons powdered buttermilk
(reconstitute before using or add dry to dry ingredients and wet to wet ingredients before mixing
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1/4 cup milk PLUS 3/4 cup yogurt