How To Make Buttermilk With Just 2 Ingredients

Buttermilk is (literally) the cultured cousin of fresh dairy milk. Originally getting its name from the liquid left over from the butter churning process, it's a handy dairy product and the hero of homemade ranch dressing, fried chicken, pancakes, and countless other favorites. Similar to yogurt, it's made by fermenting milk with live active bacteria, giving it a tart flavor and acidity that comes in handy in the kitchen. Buttermilk not only adds a flavor element to baked goods but also helps leaven them, as the acid from the fermentation process reacts with baking soda to produce gas.

All of this is to say that buttermilk is a versatile ingredient that any home cook should have on hand. However, a store-bought carton of buttermilk only stays good for so long once it's opened (about two weeks), so knowing how to make it at home is especially helpful if you are in a recipe bind.

Read more: 11 Unexpected Foods You Actually Don't Have To Refrigerate

Milk And Acid Are You Need For A Functional Buttermilk

Luckily, the two-ingredient buttermilk process is so easy, it may make you question whether to buy the product ever again. For the function of cooking and baking, buttermilk is essentially extra acidic milk. Therefore, it requires just two basic ingredients to make at home: milk and acid. Any milk will do, but whole or 2% will help make the end product creamier. As for acid, lemon juice or white distilled vinegar (which brings a more neutral flavor than, say, rice wine vinegar) are best. Use one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for every one cup of milk. After combining the ingredients, let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes so that the acid slightly curdles the milk. Voila: a perfect buttermilk substitute.

While you will not find the healthy bacteria in this version of buttermilk, it will still emulate the cultured store-bought version when used in cooking and baking. Making cultured buttermilk is a more time-intensive process, so the milk-and-acid method is perfect in a pinch. What's more, this hack works with all types of plant milks. Save that rushed trip to the market; try it and see for yourself!

Read the original article on Foodie.