buttermilk question

[shirl]

I bought a carton of lowfat buttermilk last week and used a little bit for baking. When I tried to use it again last night, I noticed that it tasted and smelled kind of like sour milk. And the consistency is a little thicker than I remembered. I've never used buttermilk before - is this normal? It's still a week away from the expiration date so I don't know how it could have gone bad...

[SandyM]

Hi Shirl,

Sorry I can't help you with your question on whether the buttermilk is bad or not.

I will tell you, however, that if you can find powdered buttermilk, that's the way to go. Stays in the fridge, and IMO, makes all baked goods that call for buttermilk better. :D

[nori]

Buttermilk is supposed to be thicker than regular milk. Did you shake before you used last time? I remember one time I used it, forgot to shake it. If expiration date is still away, I would think it's okay. It smells a little sour, too......but not a bad smell.

If you don't use buttermilk so often, you can substitute with milk and vinegar. One cup of milk and add one TBS of vinegar, stir, then sit around 5 minutes.

[rinsav]

Shirl,

I had the same exact question when I started using buttermilk. I buy the no-fat kind and I love cooking with it. It makes things so moist! It's definitely thicker than regular milk and it does smell sour so I think you're okay. It sounds like yours is perfectly normal. You should shake it before using it though.

Good luck!
Rindi

[shirl]

Thanks for your responses! I'm gonna use it to bake again tonight!

[claire797]

Shirl,

Buttermilk does go sour. You'll know it when you smell it. I have used sour buttermilk in baked goods and the results have been fine. I wouldn't use soured buttermilk in something like onion ring batter or chicken breading, but sour buttermilk is fine in bran muffins.

But yes. After a few weeks buttermilk does not have a fresh buttermilk taste and it gets thick and smells bad.

[ClaraB]

I have to confess... I've been known to use buttermilk weeks after the expiry date :o ! It's already cultured, so I figure, what's it going to do, go good on me?? :p I've never had any problems with it - it always looks and smells fine to me when I use it. If it looks curdled, then it's probably no good.