milk most commonly used for buttermilk. Skim milk is

milk most commonly used for buttermilk. Skim milk is sometimes fortified with nonfat dry milk to produce a thicker body.

Shopping pointers

Traditionally, buttermilk was popular as a Southern-style cooking ingredient and beverage. Now available nationwide, it is found throughout the year in supermarket dairy cases.

In addition to fluid buttermilk, non-fat dry buttermilk can be purchased. This is great to keep on hand for baking.

Storage recommendations

Buttermilk, like all fluid milk, should be kept clean, cool, and covered. Refrigerate buttermilk in a closed container to protect its fresh acid flavor, aroma, and texture.

Buttermilk’s acidity retards growth of spoilage bacteria. Thus, buttermilk will keep for as long as two weeks after purchase if stored properly.

Freezing buttermilk is not advised because it causes separation of the watery portion of buttermilk from the solids. If frozen, buttermilk can be thawed in refrigerator, gently stirred, and best used in cooked products.

Bills of fare with buttermilk

Imaginative — and frugal — cooks have long used buttermilk as a cooking ingredient. Its slight acidity makes for light and tender cakes, biscuits, and pancakes, and helps tenderize meats. The “gaminess” of a meat like vension, for example, is offset by marinating it in buttermilk overnight.

Buttermilk pound cake

(Frances Foster)

3 cups sugar

1 stick soft butter

1/2 cup shortening

5 eggs

3 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon

Combine sugar, butter and shortening; beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and buttermilk alternately; mix well. Dissolve soda in 1 tablespoon water; stir into batter. Add flavoring; pour into greased tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan; cool completely.