I hate buying buttermilk. I never seem to be able to use it all before it spoils which means that I’m only wasting money and food if I buy it at the store. I am lucky though in that my family switched to raw milk in 2019 which gave me the chance to learn how to make homemade buttermilk. When I make a homemade buttermilk recipe in my own kitchen, I can make as little or as much as I need – which means no spoilage!
In case you weren’t aware, homemade buttermilk is the byproduct of making homemade butter. Yes, when you learn how to make homemade buttermilk, you will also get butter as a result.
In fact, the process for making homemade butter is the same as learning how to make homemade buttermilk.
Win/win, right?
If you’ve never made homemade butter, it is so much creamier and flavorful than store bought butter.
The same is true for this homemade buttermilk recipe. Once you make it homemade, you’ll never go back!
How to Make Homemade Buttermilk
If you’re looking for a way to save money on food and other expenses, there’s no better way to do so than to make more at home and buy less. Since it’s a by-product, it also ends up being basically free for you to make.
What could be better than learning ways to feed your family for free right?
It’s also healthier to make more at home, but that is neither here nor there. If you need a good place to get started doing just that, check THIS post out. It contains the first 30 products I personally stopped buying in 2015.
Homemade buttermilk does have a bit of a different flavor than store bought so keep in mind that it may take a recipe or two in order for you to get used to the change.
The flavor is so much better to be honest, but it may surprise you at first.
My kids thought I was adding new ingredients to my buttermilk biscuits or homemade buttermilk pancakes.
I’m pretty sure they still don’t believe that I’m just using real and true buttermilk.
Homemade Buttermilk Recipe
There are a few things you need to know before you learn how to make homemade buttermilk.
First, it can not be made with store bought milk. You must have raw milk to make it. Okay, technically what you need is not raw milk. It’s the real cream off the raw milk.
If you don’t have access to raw milk, heavy whipping cream will work.
How Do I Cook With Homemade Buttermilk?
When you are using a homemade buttermilk recipe in yuour normal recipes, you’ll cook with it just as you would a store bought buttermilk.
There are no special conversions needed.
Can I Freeze Homemade Buttermilk?
Yes and I often do!
To freeze homemade buttermilk, simply pour into a freezer safe container. Leave a bit of headspace at the top to allow for expansion
Freeze as you normally would. When you need to use it, thaw and shake.
Pro tip: Freeze buttermilk in 1/2 cup containers. This way you’re not thawing more than you need so you don’t waste it.
How to Make Buttermilk from Raw Milk
Before we get started learning how to make homemade buttermilk, you will need to skim the cream from your raw milk.
If you do not know how to do this, I have a tutorial HERE that will walk you through it.,
If you’re using heavy whipping cream from the store or that is already skimmed, feel free to skip to the recipe below.
Jump to RecipeSupplies Needed:
Once you have the cream skimmed off, pour one-half to one cup heavy cream into a quart sized mason jar.
Add a lid and ring then shake.
After you’ve shaken for a few minutes, you will start to see the heavy cream thicken.
Keep shaking.
When you feel as if your arm is about to fall off, you know you’re on the right track.
After 8-10 minutes of shaking, you will have two things inside your jar; butter and buttermilk.
Now it’s time to separate them so they can each be used.
Pour the whole jar through a mesh sieve. This will allow you to separate the buttermilk and butter from each other.
Allow the butter to drain fully before moving over HERE to finish making your butter. There are steps you will need to take to finish your butter so it does not go rancid.
Pour the homemade buttermilk into a jar using a funnel so you don’t spill any.
Use immediately in your favorite recipe, refrigerate for later or freeze to preserve it.
Looking for more condiment recipes? Try these:
Learning how to make homemade cheese is not as difficult as you might think! This homemade mozzarella cheese recipe is super simple and tastes amazing!
Skip paying high prices for butter and learn how to make homemade butter instead. This homemade butter recipe is so simple even a child could do it!
Give your sandwich an upgrade with this amazingly easy (and delicious!) homemade mayonnaise recipe! This homemade mayo recipe is just 3 steps to perfection!
Ketchup on your fries or burger? Skip the bottle and make this homemade ketchup recipe instead! It’s the best you’ll ever taste!
How to Make Homemade Buttermilk
Equipment
- Quart Sized Mason Jars
- Mesh Sieve
Ingredients
- Heavy Cream
Instructions
- If using raw milk, skim cream from the top.
- Add cream to a mason jar. Add lid and ring.
- Shake jar 8-10 minutes until the butter and buttermilk form.
- Pour contents of jar through a fine mesh sieve. Allow the buttermilk to drain off completely.
- Pour buttermilk into a jar. Use immediately or refrigerate/freeze for later.