Buttermilk

I made old fashioned buttermilk pancakes with blueberries and pecans stirred in. I don't think many modern cooks use buttermilk in cooking but it definitely makes great pancakes. I used store bought buttermilk as I currently have no room for a cow and churn.

Buttermilk is such an odd food item. Alone it is so gross (I know some people like it) but when used for cooking it really makes food taste great.

I use it for fried chicken ��.

I remember as a kid that I once took a sip of buttermilk from a glass. My mom poured it for me. I wondered why she was grinning.......

I make my buttermilk at home (cheaper and just as good) and use a lot. As Mech said it's great for fried chicken batter, not to mention pancakes, cakes, biscuits.

One cup milk, a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
Stir, and let sit for five to ten minutes (till it curdles) before using.

Other options:
1) Plain unsweetened yogurt and milk whisked together to the consistency of buttermilk.

2) Equal parts sour cream and water. This is really good.

Originally Posted by LauraB

sour cream

I use a ton of sour cream. In cookies, burritos, tacos, chicken dishes, latkes, stuffed peppers or cabbage rolls. It is delicious and makes everything better.
Buttermilk I use mostly for pancakes and biscuits. I might try the lemon juice method but I buy half a gallon at a time of store bought buttermilk and freeze a bunch of containers, it freezes well.
I read an explanation one time that the thickness of buttermilk along with its acidity reacts with leaveners and is what makes lighter fluffier results; certainly the lemon juice buttermilk should bring the same results.

I like buttermilk pancakes. I how ever used buttermilk for a different purpose. From around 12 years of age until early 20's I would get the worst acid reflux. So bad I'd sometimes vomit. All the other stuff like malox or Pepto-Bismol just made me sicker. Chug down a glass of buttermilk was just like dumping water on a campfire.It seemed to happen 2 or 3 hours after I went to bed. I'd get up and drink straight from carton since no one else in family would touch it, lol.