Cultured buttermilk and sour cream
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Whole milk cultured at room temperature with a starter to make real buttermilk, plus a cream version for sour cream.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- Choose ONE starter: 1 packet of direct-set buttermilk starter culture; OR 1/8th teaspoon mesophilic starter culture; OR 1 cup cultured buttermilk from the store
- If using 1 cup of cultured buttermilk as your starter reduce the whole milk to 3 cups.
Equipment
- mason jars
Directions
Make the mix
- Gently stir the starter culture into the milk, ideally in a mason jar. Cover with a towel held on by a rubber band rather than a tight lid.
- Let the milk culture at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. It is ready when thick and pleasantly tangy-smelling.
- Keep the finished buttermilk in the refrigerator.
To use
- Stir the cultured buttermilk and half & half together.
- Leave in a warm spot for 24 hours.
- Chill in the refrigerator. (How long it keeps is not given.)
Notes
It usually lasts at least several weeks in the fridge. Pasteurized milk works; avoid ultra-pasteurized (UHT). Raw milk also works; safety: raw milk carries a risk of harmful bacteria. If it doesn’t thicken in 12 to 24 hours, the starter may be inactive, it may need more time, or the kitchen may be too cold. Cultured too long, it gets thicker like yogurt but is still usable. Existing cultured buttermilk can start the next batch.
– 1 tbsp cultured buttermilk
– 1 cup half & half