How to make REAL buttermilk & why you need it in your kitchen NOW

Why should you learn to make old-fashioned cultured buttermilk when we all know the vinegar or lemon-juice trick?
There are a few good reasons for culturing your own buttermilk, and today I'm sharing why! Plus, I'm showing you just how simple it is to make REAL homemade buttermilk yourself.
Spoiler Alert! You can use cultured buttermilk to make your own homemade cheeses!!!
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Links Mentioned (some of the following links may be affiliate links, by clicking on them and purchasing I may receive compensation, however, prices remain the same for you, THANKS!):
- Dehydrated Culture for making Buttermilk: www.culturesforhealth.com/?a_...
- Pioneering Today Academy: melissaknorris.com/PTA
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits: melissaknorris.com/how-to-mak...
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Listen in to the top #10 rated Pioneering Today Podcast for Home & Garden for Simple Modern Homesteading Tips melissaknorris.com/podcast-2/
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My Books:
The Family Garden Planner: melissaknorris.com/planner
The Family Garden Plan: melissaknorris.com/family-gar...
Hand Made 100+ From Scratch Recipes: melissaknorris.com/handmade-book
The Made-from-Scratch Life: melissaknorris.com/made-from-...
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Howdy! I'm so glad you're here. I'm Melissa from Pioneering Today and a 5th generation homesteader where I'm doing my best to hold onto the old traditions in a modern world and share them with others.
Click any of the below links for FREE resources and training to help you on your homestead!
Homemade Sourdough Starter Series melissaknorris.com/learnsourd...
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For raising, cooking, and preserving your own food, come hang out with me on Instagram / melissaknorris
and Facebook / melissaknorris
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#buttermilk #DIYbuttermilk #homemadebuttermilk #culturedbuttermilk

[@geraldcroft9020]

Best biscuits my wife ever made was atwo ingredient recipe, cream and self rising flour. I have not been introduced to this yet.

[@sandys7118]

I did not know until recently that you could make buttermilk like this! I love cooking and baking with buttermilk. I also love a glass of cold buttermilk to drink one in a while. It is so expensive to buy at the store but now I can have it all the time making my own!

[@felicitycarper9769]

Love this! My new favourite channel

[@ourcynic9546]

Thank you so much! I've always wanted to do this!!!

[@MelissaKNorris]

yay!

[@ginabisaillon2894]

I make sour cream the same way. I use 18% cream and a little bit of buttermilk, sometimes just what adheres to the sides of the jar after I empty it!

[@karenmccleary7616]

Love buttermilk. Can’t wait to try homemade. Thanks

[@MelissaKNorris]

Let me know how it turns out!

[@andreacremeans1055]

Can’t wait to make it! I’ve always used the buttermilk after making butter. Can’t wait to use this! Mine should be arriving today or tomorrow! #PTAfermenteddairy

[@beerbuzz62]

Thanks for another awesome video!

[@MelissaKNorris]

You're welcome!

[@renaclements6634]

I always go one step further. I beat it with electric beater until large bubbles form. I start off low speed then up to high This makes creamy thick and smooth buttermilk. Then I put it in jars or one large jar. I always use two bags of milk or quarts, and refrigerate it. . My husband and I love to drink buttermilk when it is cold. This takes about minute, I do this after it has sat at room temperature for 24 hours. I make about 3 batches a week.

[@DarlingNickki777]

Good idea!

[@thomasgronek6469]

Great video, many thanks. Sour cream is just as easy to make. For sour cream, use sour cream instead of buttermilk of course, but the procedure is the same. Yogurt is almost as easy, just a little more involved

[@AndreasCreations]

Great video - going to try this today :-)

[@tonyhemingway7980]

My mother always used apple cider vinegar to sour the milk. She made the best donuts that I have ever tasted with the milk.

[@kristasahlin]

This is a great tutorial!! I didn't know it was so easy. So can you store this in the fridge, along next to yogurt? Or is that when the fermenting is done and it doesn't matter?

[@soulbestrongaprilbillups4559]

Hi Melissa, thank you for your very informative and helpful videos and podcasts! I am currently with very little space while we build a home. I am wondering if my buttermilk and sour cream cultures may be able to develop close to each other?

[@auburnhillhomestead6565]

I just made Irish Soda Bread with buttermilk. (Tried and einkorn version for the video). Would much rather have a homemade, fermented version of buttermilk, than store bought any day!

[@jeffh8112]

I have flora and fauna in my gut? Who knew! Another great video, thanks!

[@MelissaKNorris]

You are wlecome!

[@anthonycooper3191]

Another well-presented video, and interesting too, thank you Mrs Norris. I had been wondering when you had previously mentioned your health problems, whether you have had your water-supply checked for any signs of contamination of any sort, perhaps pesticide-residues, etc? I hope your health has improved. Best wishes to you and your family Mrs Norris. Thank you.

[@MelissaKNorris]

We're on a private well and the property surrounding it has been in my family for over 60 years, no pesticide use on it or any neighboring properties, so we're good there thankfully

[@cv7357]

Thank You for this info! CAN YOU TELL ME HOW LONG THE STARTER CULTURE LASTS?

[@LazyCookPete]

Most helpful, thanks! 👍

[@MelissaKNorris]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@wfqsfg]

I use buttermilk to make sour cream. Better then store bought. In the oven with the light on is a good source of low heat.

[@natanelarnson]

Melissa first of all you are amazing, thanks for sharing your beautiful life with us on KZbin. Secondly, I am interested in making videos someday soon, and I was wondering what lav mic you use for the voice audio, and if you record into a portable device.

[@r.h.lincoln9889]

Im excited to try this. Ive been buying cultured buttermilk from the store but since it says pasturized i dont think theres any live cultures

[@michaelgilbert8794]

Hi Melissa, I made this according to your instructions and it turned out just like you said it would. However, it is thicker than the store bought buttermilk, making it hard to drink. Any suggestions on how to thin it a little for drinking purposes?

[@thevictorianedge5465]

I love to use buttermilk in recipes but my all time favorite thing is to just drink it cold. 😋

[@jb4496]

I enjoy your videos so much and I love buttermilk . My question is can I use fat free milk to make this. Thanks

[@chefevilee9566]

This is such great information. I’ve tried to do this on several occasions and it has not worked out well for me. First the person didn’t say that you had to use cultured buttermilk. So that’s why I didn’t work the first few times. Then I got the cultured buttermilk but still it didn’t work out good. I don’t think that I’m getting it to 86°? So I will try it again and maybe figure out a good way to get it to 86°? I had just heard about people heating it on the stove prior to this video and was unsure exactly what was going on there until you explained it!

[@Niko-po9oi]

Can you do this with goat milk? And also what is that yellow mixer behind you? Does it have a hand crank to use without electricity?

[@faithbuller4086]

I had no idea of keeping my ferments separate👍🏼 that may explain some issues I had 😊

[@MelissaKNorris]

Glad it was helpful!

[@flkayak5613]

Might I add the culture to the "buttermilk" that remains after I make butter?

[@annmcdaniel1092]

To me, the Only buttermilk I ever knew about or drank was Cultured. The whey left from making butter was fed to the pigs and chickens. Best eggs and chops you could ever taste!! And sweet cornbread soaked in cultured buttermilk is HEAVILY!!!😋

[@XtremiTeez]

REAL buttermilk is the left over liquid from making butter. Whey is the left over liquid from culturing cheese or yogurt. Two totally different things.

[@kongiebeanie6488]

​@@XtremiTeeztrue

[@veevee111]

If I reconstitute my powdered buttermilk, can it be used to make cheese? I've just received this item and need ideas on how to use it.

[@rooteddeephome]

The directions that came with the packet of culture and another video says to pasteurize the raw milk first before adding the culture. Do I need to do this every time? I notice you didn’t mention pasteurizing the milk before adding the culture?

[@legionsherwood2163]

i love buttermilk with popcorn..

[@mindofmadness5593]

Thanks. I'm 55, Been drinking Buttermilk since I was knee high to a short Duck. Too expensive to buy on my disability income and keep stocked-course them little cartons go in an hour with me. Lived al over but, in Arkansas they sold that stuff by the GALLON! TWO different types. Now, with this info I can buy regular and keep a stock of cultures like I do for other things. Can the cultures be stored in the freezer?

[@zizozizo745]

Can i use prairefarm butter milk as started because i can't buy the culture you said

[@robertastubblefield3119]

Can I use lactate free milk such as fairlife to make this with?

[@maryannbrown6606]

I dont see a link for ordering dehydrated buttermilk?

[@MrMcGillicuddy]

Melissa do you know if you can do aged cheeses with buttermilk as a culture? instead of rennet? or is that just for new cheeses that you keep in the fridge for a few weeks or months? as far as I was aware I thought if I wanted to do a diy rennet I'd have to actually harvest, dry and store the stomach in salt lol So that would be cool if I didn't have to do all that haha I just like to know what I'd do in any category that I need a corporate product to achieve the final result. I don't like feeling vulnerable like that. I use products for convenience but I like to at least know what to do, and practice it some, in order to be ready for the possible halt in food distribution. God forbid it happens but I would like to not be caught off guard if I have the chance to practice now

[@TermiNader5]

Can tbsps of yogurt be used as starter?

[@BeccaS1]

Can I use homemade kefir to culture buttermilk?

[@MS-do6cj]

Also, can I use my home made buttermilk as a culture for a new batch of buttermilk? Your advice is most appreciated!!

[@MelissaKNorris]

Yes you can

[@ashleysimpson2925]

Awesome information! What is the shelf life in the fridge like?

[@MelissaKNorris]

The longer it goes the tangier it gets so I usually do a new batch every 2 weeks but it will last longer

[@biendereviere]

Can you do this with lactose free dairy?

[@Via-Logos]

Can you culture evaporated milk?

[@dwjr5129]

I recently made cornbread with buttermilk. First time I’ve tried that. It was noticeably more moist. I’ll never use regular milk again.

[@MelissaKNorris]

So good!

[@butterflybeginnings]

what's the difference between this and milk kefir?? isn't buttermilk a by product of making butter?

[@gmnelli]

Great video! We use cultured milk all the time but we actually use home fermented kefir. And same thing, kefir will stay smelling great and “buttermilky” for weeks and weeks!!! It can be subbed for buttermilk 1:1.

[@MelissaKNorris]

I do kefir as well but prefer buttermilk for baking and cheesemaking personally

[@CG-mj8tk]

Good to know ty! We make kefir bit never thought to try in baking.

[@sandrakhays]

I make and substitute kefir for baking also. It has dozens of bacteria compared to only one in buttermilk. I also use kefir on my muesli or oatmeal for a bacteria-packed start to my day.

[@gmnelli]

@@MelissaKNorris I tried cheese with kefir and it was a massive failure. Baking and many other uses are great though. I made I giant red lobster style cheddar bay biscuit in the ditch oven with kefir and it was SO GOOD!!! Just use buttermilk or kefir in this fieldcompany.com/blogs/journal/cheddar-scallion-dutch-oven-soda-bread

[@tinawatrous9295]

off topic a bit but should you separate your kombucha and sourdough starters too? I put all of my ferments on top of my fridge...

[@MelissaKNorris]

Yes give 6 ft buffer for all of them!

[@tmwest4937]

Which starter culture from the link is used to make buttermilk as there is not a buttermilk specific one?

[@MelissaKNorris]

If you use the search button for buttermilk starter it goes right to it, it literally says buttermilk culture on it

[@MS-do6cj]

Ty for your feedback! Finally, can I use fairlife whole milk (lactose free) and is the ratio of 1c milk : 1T buttermilk? I just subscribed and can’t wait to read about all you’ve been doing for a healthier you!

[@Elkins24]

Hi Melissa I tried this but it failed, First I used Sam's Club - Vitamin D Whole Grade A Milk Homogenized & Pasteurized. Hiland Cultured Lowfat Buttermilk Grade A Pasteurized & Homogenized. Put whole milk in a mason pint jar to the neck then 2 Tbl of the Buttermilk gave it a stir. Left in the kitchen for 24 hrs. house temp is 74°F. After 24hr was still just like milk did not thicken at all and tasted just like whole milk.UGH

[@lynettestrickland1688]

Can I make this with fresh raw milk?

[@galinarou]

How is this different from thickened clabbered milk? As far as I know buttermilk is made from the cream and not from the whole milk itself.

[@amysrp5531]

What's the difference between this and the buttermilk that is the byproduct of butter? Also, why is the buttermilk that produces when I make butter not thick?

[@MelissaKNorris]

This is cultured buttermilk, so it has the full fat from the milk and is a fermented item. Buttermilk that's washed from the butter during milking has very little fat in it, is much thinner, and doesn't have the culture.

[@MS-do6cj]

I am new to benefits of buttermilk and was wondering if home made cultured buttermilk is the same and as healthy as the buttermilk I yielded from making home mad butter with organic, grass fed un-homogenized heavy cream. Are these same buttermilks or do they have different probiotics? Are they equally healthy? I want to have to drink daily and for improved gut health…

[@MelissaKNorris]

This has a culture so not the same

[@rogersurrey]

What happens with cross contamination of fermenting cultures? it just doesn't ferment properly?

[@MelissaKNorris]

That and flavor, I don't want my sourdough tasting like my sauerkraut

[@Car-jy8pw]

I had no idea! Can you use a little bit of buttermilk you already have in the fridge instead of that culture?

[@amandawilliams2266]

Yeah that is what she mixed in ,she had reserved some to start her next batch.😊

[@mollyl8704]

can you use buttermilk made in the butter making process for this?

[@DarlingNickki777]

It’s the same thing. The whey from the separation of butter is actual buttermilk so yes you can use it in your regular milk like she does here.

[@wakeuptoBlessings]

I’m confused!🤦‍♀️ I get cultured full fat buttermilk from the grocery. Can I use that to inoculate? By inoculating/culturing, can I use the leftover from making butter? And can buttermilk be frozen for future baking?

[@MelissaKNorris]

Yes you can use that to culture more. The leftover milk from buttermilk won't work. You can freeze it

[@herrprepper2070]

You hint that the milk culture can keep milk fresh for an extended period, but you don’t explain why or how. Can you elaborate?

[@carljorgensen2813]

That’s a lot of information thank you you got a beautiful house. Where can I get mine as nice as yours thank you again for the video..

[@MelissaKNorris]

Thank you!

[@4footedshadow]

Once the buttermilk is placed into the refrigerator, 1. do you need to still leave the lid loose, and 2. is cross contamination still a concern if there are any other fermented things in the fridge (pickles, sourdough, etc)? Thanks for all the great info, Melissa!

[@MelissaKNorris]

Once in the fridge I tighten the lid and haven't had any issues of cross-contamination, great questions!

[@4footedshadow]

@@MelissaKNorris Thank you!!

[@jmt6615]

I like a glass of buttermilk with a piece of cornbread. Is this buttermilk drinkable?

[@MelissaKNorris]

It's tangy but yes, it's real buttermilk so if you like to drink it you can

[@KittyMama61]

I make this into a lovely sour cream!

[@oscaramaya8599]

👍👍👍

[@sharonbos3507]

Does this work with goat milk?

[@MelissaKNorris]

Yes, I just don't have a good source for goat's milk

[@FynnOliverEmonSill]

As someone with a problimatic immune system, this kinda scares me....but interested. Buttermilk crêpes are the best, same with chicken marinade the night before in buttermilk....chicken is SO JUICY.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Cultured foods aid the immune system because they help to build up probiotic strains in the gut.

[@FynnOliverEmonSill]

@@MelissaKNorris Oh I know that… The problem is I’m having a hard time visualizing putting milk out for to get to 86° and consider that safe… My minds having a hard time processing that!

[@beebop9808]

A culture isn't required to start buttermilk. It'll speed up the process but it can be done without it and was the common practice back in my childhood (60's and 70's). We had cattle and a couple of Jersey's we used for milk. We always had more milk than we would drink or use so buttermilk was always on tap. The air is full of yeasts and just sitting milk out in a container with a loose cap or covered in cheese cloth will do fine. In a couple or three days the milk will blink at room temperature and can then be churned to gather the butter and store the butter milk that's left over in the fridge.We probably drank as much buttermilk as we did fresh milk. And mom sold her butter we didn't use and baked all sorts of things with the buttermilk.

[@MelissaKNorris]

This only works with RAW milk, most people don't have access to it so if using store-bought pasteurized milk you must use a culture.

[@beebop9808]

@@MelissaKNorris I see.

[@bonniezitting6671]

Thank you for sharing this. I've always had raw milk but had no idea I could make buttermilk that way. I'll try it.

[@Minnesota_Mama_Bear]

💚🌞

[@jayasreenarayananpillay3362]

ah ah ah aiyo Indians were using buttermilk since ages west got up now.. There is no food without buttermilk.

[@jeaninestaum3633]

You kill the bacteria when heated

[@johnbougearel9215]

is any mesophilic culture gonna be able to make buttermilk? I see most mesophilics are used to make cheese? And do not specify buttermilk also

[@simonmanifold3005]

Why can’t you buy butter milk?

[@MelissaKNorris]

I prefer to make mine!

[@FynnOliverEmonSill]

HA...I am a single guy and drink a gallon of milk in 2 days...at most 3. (I'm 48)

[@Julian-zy1em]

Fried chicken marinated in buttermilk, biscuits and those beautiful curls....🤪🤪🤪

[@shensuohao]

First!

[@shensuohao]

Woo!

[@shensuohao]

Yes I liked my own comment!

[@davidthomas5032]

I love Melisa Norris and have her cookbooks...however common misunderstanding here. What she is making is NOT buttermilk. It is cultured milk. Buttermilk is what is left when you make butter. Nowadays this seems to be a generic label slapped on any cultured milk (like at the grocery store). I use cultured milk all the time in cooking, but it is not buttermilk. We should call things by their proper name.

[@MelissaKNorris]

It's cultured buttermilk which is different than the leftover milk washed from butter but cultured buttermilk is not incorrect It's just two different items. When everyone had raw milk it would naturally become clabbered on It's own. Cultured buttermilk is closer to that.

[@micm6315]

Sorry not from scratch

[@n.watson8497]

It sounds a lot like kefir.

[@jarvisjohns]

Real butter milk is the left over liquid from the butter making process. This is not butter milk... just cultured milk!

[@wishvermont]

Actually, "real" buttermilk is the liquid that is left over from making butter. Thus the name buttermilk. It is not sour and it does not cultured. What you are making is cultured milk.

[@dadawesome784]

I was wondering that! I’ve made butter and buttermilk and so was a little confused watching this.

[@akikoito1383]

You should add a caveat of using raw milk. No culture needed.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Some states raw milk is illegal and not everyone has a source for raw milk, this is more feasible for the majority of people.

[@charmainemrtnz]

So your culture is social distancing. Lol.

[@anitascroggie8497]

Km0oko

[@TRuth.T]

Too bad, the culture cost soo much :(

[@MelissaKNorris]

It's a one time purchase and then you reuse the culture for years, pretty inexpensive in light of that but you can also purchase live cultured buttermilk from the store too

[@gregshouck2535]

This IS NOT REAL buttermilk. Culture d buttermilk IS NOT buttermilk. Real buttermilk is a by product of making butter which has pieces of butter in it

[@MelissaKNorris]

Actually buttermilk from making butter doesn't have pieces of butter in it, no one is wasting their butter by leaving it in the leftover milk after churning it. And this is REAL cultured buttermilk...

[@mentalmutt1931]

So to make 'real' buttermilk you need 'real' buttermilk? Ain't nobody got time for anything else than lemon juice/vinegar, sorry..