Comments on: Making Cultured Buttermilk, Kefir and Sour Cream http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:43:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Laura http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-146885 Laura Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:39:25 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-146885 If it tastes fine, I'm sure it is absolutely fine to use! If it tastes fine, I’m sure it is absolutely fine to use!

]]> By: Ann http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-146688 Ann Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:16:27 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-146688 I have some well aged buttermilk dated 12/15/11 in my fridge that looks a lot like sour cream after i poured off the watery top. Would this be an acceptable sour cream or something else. I tasted it and it tastes fine. I have some well aged buttermilk dated 12/15/11 in my fridge that looks a lot like sour cream after i poured off the watery top. Would this be an acceptable sour cream or something else. I tasted it and it tastes fine.

]]> By: Kay http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-144485 Kay Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:07:37 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-144485 Just a suggestion. When you do anything with raw milk, always use glass or ceramic containers. Don't use metal. The glass and ceramic should always be scalded with hot water, or boiled in hot water to kill any strange bacteria. The metal may give your milk products an off flaver. When you use utensils to work your milk products, use wooden spoons or spatulas instead of metal. The wooden utensils can be boiled in water to kill any strange bacteria. My grandmother always churned her butter in glass churns with wooden paddles and worked her butter in wooden bowls with wooden paddles. Her cottage cheese always curdled in ceramic bowls. I don't ever remember her using metal for any type of dairy making. The raw milk did come in from the barn in metal pails or large milk cans, but the pails and cans were only used for milking and transport straight to the house and milkhouse. Just a suggestion. When you do anything with raw milk, always use glass or ceramic containers. Don’t use metal. The glass and ceramic should always be scalded with hot water, or boiled in hot water to kill any strange bacteria. The metal may give your milk products an off flaver. When you use utensils to work your milk products, use wooden spoons or spatulas instead of metal. The wooden utensils can be boiled in water to kill any strange bacteria. My grandmother always churned her butter in glass churns with wooden paddles and worked her butter in wooden bowls with wooden paddles. Her cottage cheese always curdled in ceramic bowls. I don’t ever remember her using metal for any type of dairy making. The raw milk did come in from the barn in metal pails or large milk cans, but the pails and cans were only used for milking and transport straight to the house and milkhouse.

]]> By: Lainie http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-132912 Lainie Mon, 05 Dec 2011 04:15:03 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-132912 Laura, I found your site looking for a mozzarella recipe. I will be using yours for our Christmas lasagna. For 40 years, I have made buttermilk and sour cream by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to one cup of milk or cream. I've not had any complaints and they work in recipes perfectly. Hope that others find this useful. Laura,

I found your site looking for a mozzarella recipe. I will be using yours for our Christmas lasagna.

For 40 years, I have made buttermilk and sour cream by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to one cup of milk or cream. I’ve not had any complaints and they work in recipes perfectly.

Hope that others find this useful.

]]> By: Amanda B http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-132255 Amanda B Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:51:27 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-132255 This is from wikipedia: "Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream. Traditionally, before cream could be skimmed from whole milk, it was left to sit for a period of time to allow the cream and milk to separate. During this time, naturally occurring lactic acid-producing bacteria in the milk fermented it. This facilitates the butter churning process, since fat from cream with a lower pH coalesces more readily than that of fresh cream. The acidic environment also helps prevent potentially harmful microorganisms from growing, increasing shelf-life.[3] However, in establishments that used cream separators, the cream was hardly acidic at all." Sounds like all you have to do to make real buttermilk is let your raw milk sit out for a bit to separate and sour, then skim off the cream, make butter with it (which can be done easily in your blender or food processor (see this post:http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-make-butter/) and pour off the resulting liquid (buttermilk!). This is from wikipedia: “Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream. Traditionally, before cream could be skimmed from whole milk, it was left to sit for a period of time to allow the cream and milk to separate. During this time, naturally occurring lactic acid-producing bacteria in the milk fermented it. This facilitates the butter churning process, since fat from cream with a lower pH coalesces more readily than that of fresh cream. The acidic environment also helps prevent potentially harmful microorganisms from growing, increasing shelf-life.[3] However, in establishments that used cream separators, the cream was hardly acidic at all.”

Sounds like all you have to do to make real buttermilk is let your raw milk sit out for a bit to separate and sour, then skim off the cream, make butter with it (which can be done easily in your blender or food processor (see this post:http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-make-butter/) and pour off the resulting liquid (buttermilk!).

]]> By: D. http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-128419 D. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:08:04 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-128419 I didn't mean it quite that way. What I meant was, really, it's a shame anyone has to buy grocery store milk. If you don't have access, you don't. I wouldn't pay $9 / gallon either. That's ridiculous. I pay $4.00 per gallon for lovely Jersy cow creamy milk. $2.50 for a dozen pastured eggs. The one thing we have trouble finding here is pastured chickens and turkeys (to bake and eat). Most of the people who raise chickens for eggs keep them until they are no longer laying hens and then they use the hens, themselves, for stewing - but they don't sell the hens. Few people in this area raise chickens just for the chicken meat to sell. Small farmers sometimes keep a flock for themselves but they don't sell to the public. Most of the milk in stores is from Holstein cows (which are low in fat to begin with) so even if you're buying whole milk you're still not getting much natural fat. If it were me, I would look for unhomogenized CREAM and then dilute it 1:1 or whatever into milk for my family. At least they would get a little more fat content. Just try to look for stuff that is not ultra-pasteurized. I didn’t mean it quite that way. What I meant was, really, it’s a shame anyone has to buy grocery store milk. If you don’t have access, you don’t. I wouldn’t pay $9 / gallon either. That’s ridiculous. I pay $4.00 per gallon for lovely Jersy cow creamy milk. $2.50 for a dozen pastured eggs. The one thing we have trouble finding here is pastured chickens and turkeys (to bake and eat). Most of the people who raise chickens for eggs keep them until they are no longer laying hens and then they use the hens, themselves, for stewing – but they don’t sell the hens. Few people in this area raise chickens just for the chicken meat to sell. Small farmers sometimes keep a flock for themselves but they don’t sell to the public.

Most of the milk in stores is from Holstein cows (which are low in fat to begin with) so even if you’re buying whole milk you’re still not getting much natural fat. If it were me, I would look for unhomogenized CREAM and then dilute it 1:1 or whatever into milk for my family. At least they would get a little more fat content. Just try to look for stuff that is not ultra-pasteurized.

]]> By: Sharon http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-128412 Sharon Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:55:47 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-128412 It's a lovely idea that no one should buy milk in the grocery store, for some of us it is our only option. There is one place 30 minutes from where I live that sells raw milk and it costs $9.00 a gallon. We just don't have that kind of money. While I'm trying to change our eating to whole foods that are good for us, it is quite a challenge finding things that fit our small budget and large family. On the milk front, I'm just not sure what other option I have except store bought milk. It’s a lovely idea that no one should buy milk in the grocery store, for some of us it is our only option. There is one place 30 minutes from where I live that sells raw milk and it costs $9.00 a gallon. We just don’t have that kind of money. While I’m trying to change our eating to whole foods that are good for us, it is quite a challenge finding things that fit our small budget and large family. On the milk front, I’m just not sure what other option I have except store bought milk.

]]> By: LindseyforLaura@HHM http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-122768 LindseyforLaura@HHM Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:01:04 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-122768 It lasts much longer than 2 days for Laura...I hope it does for you too! :) It lasts much longer than 2 days for Laura…I hope it does for you too! :)

]]> By: Rachel http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-122232 Rachel Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:09:45 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-122232 I just got my first Kefir culture! Very overwhelmed and excited. I am wondering how long you can "keep" the sour cream, kefir, and yogurt before it "goes bad." I was told that it's something I should do every 2 days or so but there is no way we will eat that much kefir right now. I just got my first Kefir culture! Very overwhelmed and excited. I am wondering how long you can “keep” the sour cream, kefir, and yogurt before it “goes bad.” I was told that it’s something I should do every 2 days or so but there is no way we will eat that much kefir right now.

]]> By: Savannah http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream/comment-page-2#comment-122061 Savannah Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:24:14 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-cultured-buttermilk-kefir-and-sour-cream#comment-122061 okay :) once again, thanks for the help! okay :) once again, thanks for the help!

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