Buttermilk, It's Not Just for Chocolate Cake

Buttermilk seems to be the most hated dairy product, except for making things like fried chicken and chocolate cake, it doesn't get much use. It's a shame. There was a time when Americans, particularly southerners actually drank buttermilk. My parents and grandparents mixed buttermilk and cornbread for a light "supper". Over time, consumption of buttermilk fell.

When I talk to my students about buttermilk, they immediately turn up their noses. They haven't even tasted it. But I press on. I tell them the original buttermilk was the milk left after churning butter. Since the fat is removed, buttermilk is a low fat product.

Buttermilk is made by adding microorganisms to low fat milk, making it a fermented product, like yogurt. These microorganisms, commonly referred to as lactic acid bacteria, convert lactose into lactic acid and may possess probiotic activity. Because lactose is converted to lactic acid, it is a low lactose product. Good news for those who are lactose intolerant.

Recently, there appears to be an upswing in the consumption of buttermilk and other fermented foods. Research is beginning to show health benefits of consuming fermented products such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi. These products may help with digestion, enhance the immune system.

I have always wondered why the dairy industry did not add fruit and sugar to buttermilk like they did with yogurt. After all, Americans did not eat yogurt until we added fruit and sugar.

If you want to make your own buttermilk, add ½ cup of buttermilk and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to 2 cups of milk. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for about 24 hours. The milk will thicken and a curd will form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

If you want to try buttermilk, this mango lassi recipe is a good place to start.  Lassi is an Indian beverage made with yogurt or buttermilk and fruit.  If you have leftover lassi, make freezer pops.

Mango Lassi

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2½ cups chopped peeled mango
4 cups (1 quart) buttermilk, shake before using
¼ cup sugar

Directions:

1.  Purée mango and buttermilk until smooth.  If desired, strain mixture through a fine sieve into a large picture.  Add sugar and stir to dissolve.

Mashed Potatoes on the Holiday Table

Although I did not grow up eating mashed potatoes for the holiday meal, most of my midwestern friends don't think it's a holiday dinner without mashed potatoes.  And when in Rome, do as the Romans do.  Therefore, I am doing mashed potatoes as one of my holiday sides.

For your holiday mashed potatoes, start with either russet (Idaho) or Yukon Gold potatoes.  These types are better suited for making mashed potatoes.  Russets are high in starch and low in moisture.  For this reason russets cook up drier and fluffier and are better able to absorb butter and cream. Russets also lose their shape when simmered, so they are good for thickening soups and stews. Yukon Golds are a great all purpose potato.  Although they contain less starch than russets, they are good for baking and making mashed potatoes.

To make lower fat mashed potatoes, try using buttermilk or nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream. 

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 pound potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russets
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
1.  If desired, peel potatoes.  Cut into 1-inch pieces.  Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until potato is tender. 

2.  Drain potatoes thoroughly.  To further remove water, return potatoes to the saucepan on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking constantly so they don't burn.  Mash potatoes with a potato masher.  Stir in buttermilk, butter and salt.

Since it is the holidays, if you want to "upscale" your mashed potatoes, here are some suggestions.  But remember, add-ins like cheese and bacon also bring extra calories.

• Roasted Garlic
• Chives or green onions
• Herbs, such as parsley or pesto
• Horseradish and low fat sour cream, especially good for serving with beef

Buttermilk – The Wonder Ingredient

Buttermilk is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with.  I use it to marinate chicken.  I would never consider making biscuits without it.  It is often used to make cakes.  It is used to make salad dressings.  There is even a buttermilk pie.

When I talk to my students about buttermilk, they frown as if it is the worst thing they have ever heard of.   The name buttermilk seems to imply “full of fat”.  However, the original buttermilk was the milk left over after making butter; thus the name, buttermilk.  There is very little fat in buttermilk, making it a lowfat product. 

As a kid, I remember my parents and grandparents pouring buttermilk over cornbread and eating it for supper.  (Yes, supper, not dinner.)  With a touch of sugar, it wasn’t a bad dish.  Americans don’t seem to favor consuming buttermilk as a beverage.  I always thought that when fruit was put into yogurt, they would do the same thing for buttermilk.  It seemed like a natural progression of things.  But there was no such luck.  Buttermilk still languishes in the frig waiting for your next favorite dish. 

Well, I think it’s time for buttermilk to step out on its own, no more hiding out in cakes and salad dressings.  A few years ago, I came across a recipe for mango lassi. 

As I did research for this posting, I found that lassi is a beverage with its origins in India.  Indians make this beverage by blending yogurt with water or milk.  Traditional or salted lassi is a savory drink, sometimes flavored with ground cumin.  Sweet lassi is made with fruits and sugar can be added.  I believe it is traditionally made with yogurt, but this recipe called for buttermilk. 

If posssible, make this recipe with ataulfo mangoes.  Ataulfo mangoes tend to be more flavorful and juicier.

Mango Lassi

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups chopped peeled mango

1 quart buttermilk
¼ cup sugar

Directions:

1.       Purée mango in blender until smooth.  Add buttermilk and blend well.

2.       Strain mixture through a sieve.  Add sugar, stir and serve.

3.       Add ice, if desired.