Bistro Steak with Buttermilk Onion Rings. Photo: Gentl & Hyers
Okay, so buttermilk is for baking and brining? Now I'm a buttermilk expert.
Answer:
Not so fast! Buttermilk is also excellent in fry batter. Food that needs to be dredged or coated in batter, like onion rings or these addictive fried ramps, will benefit greatly from a hit of buttermilk. The bright flavor of the dairy will help cut through the richness of the fried batter, and the liquid also gives the dry ingredients something to adhere to.
Question:
Got it! Baking, brining, and frying. Brilliant.
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Well, don't forget buttermilk's other, equally excellent uses: ranch-adjacent salad dressings, creamy dips, and creamy custards.
Pecan-Buttermilk Fudge. Photo: Ditte Isager
Question:
Wowza. Okay, what if I don't have buttermilk? I can hack it, right?
Answer:
Great question. And we're going to be honest with you: We really wouldn't recommend it. Senior food editor Alison Roman explains that although you'll be able to achieve a similar flavor profile with the old "lemon juice + milk" trick, it will never achieve the viscous, thick texture of real buttermilk. And that's what you're really looking for. If you're going to bake buttermilk biscuits, isn't it important to actually have, um, buttermilk?
We vote no on faux buttermilk. That said, if you're really in a pinch, or are cooking/baking something where buttermilk isn't the star player, a generous squeeze of lemon juice in a cup of milk or yogurt thinned out with milk will add that acidic, citrusy tang you're looking for.
Question:
So…my buttermilk smells kinda funky. How can I tell the difference between good funky or throw-it-out-now funky?
Answer:
It'll definitely keep for a few weeks when stored in the fridge. (Remember that homemade buttermilk—made from cream—will turn within a few days.) The tricky thing about buttermilk is that, by nature, it smells a little, uh, funky. For that reason, it's difficult to discern whether it's turned by scent alone. The best way to test it is to give it a taste before adding it to your brine, batter, or dressing. It may be a game of roulette, but it's better than ruining an entire batch of biscuits.
Our very best buttermilk recipes!
