Buttermilk - Can This Be Frozen? Buttermilk Recipies?

[JW in Indianapolis]

I had to buy 1/2 gal of buttermilk to make the banana bread that is on this bulletin board but I don't need near that amount. Can I freeze the extra? If not, any way to not have to just throw out the extra? Probably better yet, any good recipes that include buttermilk?

[Peeps]

I've frozen buttermilk before with no problem - I just put 1c. measurements into ziploc bags. I think I heard that you shouldn't freeze longer than a month though. For recipes, I think the April issue had a whole section on buttermilk baking, there was a great mixed berry cobbler with buttermilk in March maybe? Of course, the famous Eating Well's Died and Gone to Heaven chocolate cake has buttermilk. Buttermilk pancakes? The buttermilk oven fried chicken thighs in the May issue. I'm sure there are tons others people will suggest!

[Julie O]

My instructors in a recent cooking class said that it's still good until chunks start to form. (They both teach food science and safety Purdue and Marion College, so I figured they probably knew what they were talking about.)

[aka]

The Mar/Apr 1992 issue of CL has the best recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes (just "discovered" them a couple of weeks ago, and now my search for fluffy pancakes os over!)

I also have a non-CL recipe for Strawberry tea bread which I'm actually planning on making this weekend....I bought a bunch of strawberries on sale at the grocery store. I can post that later if anyone is interested. For now, here's that pancake recipe (which I made this morning for breakfast with fresh strawberries on top)


* Exported from MasterCook *

Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breakfast Make-Again


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg -- lightly beaten

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. combine buttermilk, oil, and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring until smooth.

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Source:
"Cooking Light March/April 1992 page 65"
Yield:
"9 pancakes"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 839 Calories; 21g Fat (23.1% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 134g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 196mg Cholesterol; 1432mg Sodium. Exchanges: 6 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 Non-Fat Milk; 3 1/2 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : 9 4-inch pancakes about 89 calories each.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[SandyM]

Hey JW - when you figure out what to do with the remainder of your buttermilk, try to find powdered buttermilk in your grocery store. It's awesome, and will keep forever (not literally, mind you, but you get the idea) in the refrigerator after it's opened.

It should be in your better grocery store, with the regular powdered milk.

[This message has been edited by SandyM (edited 05-25-2001).]

[aka]

There is an answer to this question in the October 2000 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine. It's lengthy, but I can summarize here.

The reader wrote in a "tip": he freezes leftover buttermilk in ice cube trays, then transfers the cubes to a freezer bag when frozen.

The people at Cook's Illustrated conducted tests to see if this frozen buttermilk would affect the result/taste in recipes.

The end results were: "freezing buttermilk is a fine idea. The thawed liquid can be used as is for baked goods or in other recipes containing flour, such as waffles or pancakes, but it's best to briefly whirl it in a blender before using it in salad dressing" (There is a lengthy scientific explanation for this in the mini-article) I should mention that I get the impression from the blurb that thawed buttermilk may have "clumps" in it...this apparently is normal.

The only thing the article doesn't mention is how long is too long to freeze it.

Here is the recipe for the Strawberry Tea Bread. I have frozen the finished prodect with success (up to one month)...just make sure it is packed well. I have also added coconut to this for a different flavour. The recipe calls for almonds...if you don't like nuts in your cooking, I think it would work just fine without them. Finally, a note on the "nutrition info.". The recipe yields two loaves...I guessed you might get 10 slices per loaf (total 20 slices); bear this in mind if you are looking at the nutritional info.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Strawberry Tea Bread

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Berries Tea/Evening snack


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 cups strawberries -- coarsely chopped
1 cup almonds -- chopped
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter -- softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk

In bowl, gently toss together strawberries, almonds and 1/4 cup of the flour, set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in almond extract.

Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, making three additions of dry and two of buttermilk. Gently fold in strawberry mixture.

Divide batter between two 8 x 4 inch greased and floured loaf pans, smoothing tops. Bake in 350 oven for about 1 hour or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean.

Source:
"Canadian Living "Best": Muffins and More; page 31"
Yield:
"2 loaves"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 282 Calories; 14g Fat (43.7% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 53mg Cholesterol; 289mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : May add coconut with almonds in an amount to equal 1 cup all together. If adding coconut, may substitute coconut extract for the almond.

May substitute extra cinnamon for the nutmeg.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[funnybone]

Originally posted by JW in Indianapolis:
I had to buy 1/2 gal of buttermilk to make the banana bread that is on this bulletin board but I don't need near that amount.

You can do the milk/vinegar thing next time. In muffins and breads, I find it works just as well. Add 1 tsp of vinegar for every cup of milk - let sit 5 to 10 mins. and stir.

I have the powdered buttermilk, but have yet to use it. It says to add the powder to the dry ingredients and not to mix it with the liquid.