Low Carb Delicious Buttermilk

[Barbo]

BUTTERMILK....LOW CARB...REALLY GOOD!
My only disclaimer is that I have not tried to make another
buttermilk with the new homemade one. That will have
to come later.

My very good friend Skip gave me a recipe for making buttermilk.
She uses 2% milk, but that was too high carb for me so I
have been working with Hood "Calorie Countdown" Dairy
Beverage. One cup servings is 3 g. carb, 70 calories,
4.5 g. fat, only 3 g. sugar, with 30% calcium, same as reg.
milk. Not only low cal, but low sugar/carbohydrates.

Here's how I do it.
3 cups of Hood 2% Reduced Fat Dairy Beverage
1 c. of regular buttermik from the market.
Using a very clean quart Mason jar (I put boiling water in)
Pour it out and it's ready to go.
Heat the milks just to barely warm.
Place it in the clean jar. Shake it well. Place the jar in
a warm part of the kitchen. Let it set up for 24 to 36 hours.

I've made about 4 quarts of buttermilk and each has been
very good. Not quite as thick as if you were using regular
milk. But very tasty, good for the tummy, great for baking.
I love it. Won't be without it anymore.

Here the disclaimer part. I have not fermented a second
batch with the "new buttermilk" yet. That is the next step
for me. I will report as I go along.

[dianafoot]

Fantastic! Who would've thought you could make buttermilk in the same way that you make yogurt? Thanks for the experiment and the procedure! Gotta do this.

[buttoni]

I'm so glad to see this, Barbo. I'll have to give it a try sometime. Does it keep a long time like real buttermilk?

[ouizoid]

Looks wonderful Barbo! I wish we got Hood LC milk here--

[Barbo]

What can I say? We drink or use it up so fast. I've been starting
each day with about 6 oz. Helps your tummy. I do think it will
last like regular buttermilk. This next batch is going to be made
with the Hood Dairy but I will be adding about 1/3 c. HWC to the
batch and see if it thickens up more.

Wondering if Carolyn's recipe for 'milk' would work.
Nothing like trying and experimenting. I baked with it too.
It's so easy to make. Will be looking forward to everyone's
tweaks. Hope you all will give it a try.

[Barbo]

What can I say? We drink or use it up so fast. I've been starting
each day with about 6 oz. Helps your tummy. I do think it will
last like regular buttermilk. This next batch is going to be made
with the Hood Dairy but I will be adding about 1/3 c. HWC to the
batch and see if it thickens up more.

Wondering if Carolyn's recipe for 'milk' would work?
Nothing like trying and experimenting. I baked with it too.
It's so easy to make. Will be looking forward to everyone's
tweaks. Hope you all will give it a try.

[ravenrose]

sounds fantastic! now I wonder the lowest proportion of buttermilk you could use and still be successful... reculturing subsequent batches is also key unless you have a high carb buttermilk drinker in the household. I couldn't pay my husband to drink it! LOL

[crazywoman-n-wy]

I used to make buttermilk this way with "real" milk years ago. I have never liked to drink buttermilk (never did like it!), but I would make it to cook with.

If you can make it with Hood's I see no reason you couldn't make it with Carolyn's milk. I usually add a little extra cream to my Carolyn's milk.
I have, by adding about half again as much cream as milk, made yogurt with her milk. But It needs either a lot of cream, or casein pwd (which is hard to find now), or both to make yogurt.
That being said, if you can make buttermilk with the Hoods, I would still think you could make it with Carolyn's milk. But, not having tried, I really don't know for sure.

Since I don't drink buttermilk, and really don't or probably wouldn't use it that much, probably won't try this. But ifn I was a buttermilk drinker, I'd sure give it a try!

My tastes have changed so much over the last years, that I MIGHT possibly like buttermilk now, but just can't think I would. Just can't bring myself to try it again.

[buttoni]

Originally Posted by ravenrose

unless you have a high carb buttermilk drinker in the household. I couldn't pay my husband to drink it! LOL

You cracked me up RR, because my hubby (and I) are the same way. I only COOK with buttermilk. If I had to drink it or die, I guess I'd probably opt to just go on and die. LOL

[Jakelilydad]

I LOVE buttermilk to drink - always have (which may be why I like it. It might be one of those things that you have to have as a really little kid, and then your tastebuds are set for life.). There is nothing better than a cold glass on a hot day. That said, it is now January... But buttermilk is cultured like yoghurt, so I am thinking that the lactose gets eaten just like in yoghurt, in spite of what the nutrition label says.

[canadiangirl]

I make my own butter using organic 35% cream. The liquid that is left once it seperates, is this considered buttermilk? It is delisious and has absolutely nothing added and I consider it the added (effortless) bonus to making fresh butter.

[Mistizoom]

Originally Posted by canadiangirl

I make my own butter using organic 35% cream. The liquid that is left once it seperates, is this considered buttermilk? It is delisious and has absolutely nothing added and I consider it the added (effortless) bonus to making fresh butter.

Yes, what you are left with after churning butter is true buttermilk. What's being talked about in this thread is cultured buttermilk. They are really two different things, though maybe the taste is similar.

If you culture heavy cream with buttermilk then you will get sour cream/creme fraiche.

I don't know about the Hood countdown milk, but with regular milk I have found I can reculture a few times before it no longer works, then I had to start with storebought buttermilk again. With regular milk you can use 1/2 cup buttermilk to 3.5 cups milk (fill up a quart mason jar). That way you can get 2 quarts out of a small carton of commercial buttermilk. Not sure if it takes longer that way, room temp for 16-24 hours usually is enough. I never heated the milk either. Again, I haven't used the Hood calorie countdown milk, my experience is based on regular milk.

[magnamater]

There has been some talk on the boards about the "yogurt exception" which means to me that the carbs stated are more than the effective carbs. I was wondering if buttermilk is part of this exception. Anyone know? I mean the buttermilk one buys are the store.

[Barbo]

The carb count and lactose amount printed on carton is much
more than I wanted to consume.

The Hood Dairy milk makes a much lower carb/lactose amount.
I still have not fermented the next batch by saving some of the
Hood buttermilk. More to be revealed. It is nice when you like
to drink buttermilk, to know that it is such a good nutritional
value, and yet the same amount of calcium and other goodness.

Just used up the last of the batch. Off to the farm for more
culture....

[dissident]

The problem with the stated carbohydrate content on the packages of fermented food products arises because the government makes manufacturers count the carbohydrates of food "by difference." That means they measure everything else including water and ash and fats and proteins.

Then "by difference," they assume everything else is carbohydrate. This works quite well for most foods including milk. However, to make yogurt, buttermilk and kefir, the milk is inoculated with the lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria use up almost all the milk sugar called "lactose" and convert it into lactic acid. It is this lactic acid which curds the milk and gives the taste to the product.

Since these bacteria have "eaten" most of the milk sugar by the time you buy it (or make it yourself.) At the time you eat it, how can there be much carbohydrate left? It is the lactic acid which is counted as carbohydrate. Therefore, you can eat up to a half cup of plain yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir and only count 2 grams of carbohydrates (Dr. Goldberg has measured this in his own laboratory.) One cup will contain about 4 grams of carbohydrates.