Buttermilk ?? Any uses ??

[Mike D]

Hi Guys,

I'm about to start on the process of cheesemaking. I already do my own sausages and saw on the forum the cheese section and thought, "hmmmm, why not ?". I'm going to try some Lancashire first.
I got my Rennet from Tesco - on offer at 52p reduced from �1.09p.

A question I have is this :- I make my own butter, and I just wash the buttermilk away (or give it the cats ), can I use this currently wasted by product in the cheesemaking process ??

Many thanks.

Mike.

[jpj]

it's not going to have fermented and made cultured buttermilk - which you could then use as a starter for mesophilic cheese (cheddar styles etc).
you could use it in breadmaking
the rennet from tesco - was it junket rennet?

[Mike D]

Hi jpj,

The rennet is Vegeren. I bought it as it I had seen in mentioned in a different section of the forum. Is it the correct stuff? It does say "for cheesemaking" on the packaging. I was going to get some over t'internet, but as I was passing Tesco (in Bury) I thought I would just try and see if they had some in ( must have been about 40 packets of the stuff in the homebaking section and covered over by a teatowel packet display!)

As I also do my own bread, I'll pop over to the breadmaking section of the forum and look for a bread recipe that uses buttermilk (unless you can post a link to one you would recommend). Although I do use a bread machine and I'm awaiting some "improver" from Kitchen Foods before I do anymore. My bread is OK, but sometimes a little heavy. The bread forum is great with some good tips and photo's that make my efforts look very poor

Is it possible to get the buttermilk to ferment to make cultured buttermilk? If my first attempts at cheesemeking are successful, it seems a natural progression to use my own ingredients - I hate wasting stuff

[vinner]

Mike:

Over here we user butter milk as a marinade for game birds and venison prior to cooking, as well as in frying. For instance, you can put chicken (or shrimp, or scallops, etc.) into seasoned flour, then into buttermik, then back into the flour. Let sit on racks for about 20 minutes to dry, then fry as you normally would.

[Mike D]

Thanks for that Vinner, I'll have to give that a go.

I did find this under the general cookery section of the site.

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=3881

I should have searched first!

[BlueCheese]

Makes sure u read all the posts in the manufacturing so u get an idea as to whats going on so u are more confident.

[wheels]

Buttermilk's great in scones.
I'm sure it's used in Soda bread as well.
In blini style pancakes?

Phil

[jpj]

@ mike d
you need to create a lactic fermentation, not sure how you'd do that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk
vegeren's fine just a lot weaker than normal rennet
for bread just use your buttermilk as the liquid component

[Mike D]

Thanks for that JPJ.

I have had a look at the link you posted (along with various others) and it seems a lot of messing about. I'll just use the buttermilk in baking or breadmaking instead, much easier!


Mike.