How To Make Buttermilk from Plain Milk with Lemon Juice or Vinegar (2024)

FAQs

Should I use vinegar or lemon juice to make buttermilk? ›

Whichever you choose, this ingredient is the acid that will change your milk into buttermilk. Having trouble deciding between the two? Don't think too much about it–you really won't taste either ingredient in your end result, so just use whatever you have on hand!

1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup of milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar.

For every 1 cup of milk, stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes. You can scale the recipe up or down depending on how much you need.

Given the limited amount of lemon juice/vinegar that you can add to milk without negatively impacting flavor, homemade buttermilk will not get as thick and creamy as store-bought, but it will still behave in the same way when used for baking.

Heating denatures the milk proteins, which allows the milk to coagulate and thicken more. Raw milk has not been heated; therefore, the proteins remain intact and will not coagulate the same way and cannot create a buttermilk that is as thick.

The lactic acid in cultured buttermilk is “very mild, round, and buttery,” says Shilpa. When you use vinegar instead (like in the commonly recommended swap of white vinegar and milk), you're getting acetic acid instead. Shilpa finds the flavor “very sharp and harsh,” compared to the mellow tang found in buttermilk.

Milk is mainly made up of casein and whey proteins that coagulate when mixed with acids like vinegar. Depends on how much you add, it will curdle initially and proteins separate from water and other dissolved compounds.

Opened buttermilk can last up to 14 days in the fridge and slightly longer than its expiration date if unopened. It can be frozen opened or unopened in an airtight container for up to 3 months. If you notice any changes to the smell or look of your buttermilk, it's best to toss it to avoid getting sick.

Simply combine your milk of choice and vinegar or lemon juice. You can easily make this buttermilk vegan/dairy free/nut free depending on your choice of milk. Recipe as written yields 1 cup buttermilk. The basic ratio is 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup milk; see post for alternate yields.

How is buttermilk traditionally made? ›

Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in Western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most modern buttermilk in Western countries is cultured separately.

You can make homemade buttermilk with 1 cup of milk and 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Simply stir the two ingredients together and let them sit for 5 minutes. The milk will react with the acidity of the vinegar and curdle slightly, creating the same, tangy, creaminess of store bought buttermilk!

Stir 1 scant cup of milk or cream and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar together in a measuring cup. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened and you will see small curdled bits.

In most cases, you cannot substitute buttermilk with just milk. Not only does buttermilk have a pleasant tangy flavor that regular milk does not have, but it also affects the texture of baked goods (buttermilk reacts with leaveners, such as baking soda and baking powder, to create especially light results).

A great alternative to buttermilk to give your recipes that desired tang when you don't have buttermilk on hand.

Exploring the difference between lemon juice and vinegar reveals that while both can affect glucose levels, vinegar, with its acetic acid, is more potent than lemon juice's citric acid. If vinegar doesn't appeal to you, lemon juice is a viable alternative, though it's less powerful.

Tips. You can make sour milk with fat-free, reduced-fat, or whole milk. Use lemon juice or white distilled vinegar with 5% acidity, which has a neutral in taste and is colorless. In a pinch, you can use white wine vinegar.

Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and rice vinegar can all be substituted at a ½:1 ratio. If your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then, sub 1 tablespoon vinegar and replace the rest with water if needed. Usually you won't need to add any extra liquid but it depends on the recipe.

It's just as good as the real thing and works for all kinds of recipes, like vegan cakes, muffins, and more! Pour the milk and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl and whisk until you see tiny bubbles. Let the vegan buttermilk rest at room temperature for roughly 3-5 minutes. This will allow it to thicken and curdle.