Buttermilk is a fermented milk drink and a by-product of butter making. It is low in calories and easy to digest. Thanks to the presence of lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria, it supports the beneficial intestinal flora. Buttermilk is also a good source of calcium and lecithin. You can drink it as a refreshing drink or use it as an ingredient in dishes, e.g. cakes and soups.
Buttermilkis a milk drink with a mild, refreshing, cream-nut flavor. It is technologically a by-product of churning (churning into butter) cream. Buttermilk is an acidic liquid that remains after the separation of fat particles from pasteurized, sourdough from pure buttermilk cultures.
Homemade, traditional buttermilk, made when churning butter, had a light consistency, a cloudy whitish color, and there were visible floating particles of fat in it. You could meet such buttermilk sold from tin cans several dozen years ago at trade fairs. It was especially common in Podhale.
Currently, it is produced from skimmed milk, which is acidified, i.e. it adds special strains of lactic acid bacteria, most oftenLactococcus lactis, Lactococcus cremoris, Leuconostoc cremorisand Lactococcus diacetilactis . The acidification process takes place at a temperature of approx. 25 ° C. Previously, buttermilk is homogenized and pasteurized, and then poured into cardboard packaging or plastic bottles.
Nowadays, powdered milk can be found in the composition of buttermilk. Its addition has nothing to do with a traditional product, but it results from the preferences of consumers who like uniform, thick and creamy dairy products. In stores you can buy natural and flavored buttermilk, usually strawberry, spalciatella, peach and baked apple flavors.
Buttermilk - nutritional value and he alth benefits
Buttermilk is one of the least caloric milk products. It consists of 91% water, and 100 g of the drink provides 45 kcal and contains only 1.5% fat.
Buttermilk, contrary to popular opinion, is not a good source of protein, it even contains slightly less than carbohydrates, but it is a protein with high biological value.
This milk drink contains approx. 4 g of lactose - milk sugar, which is often poorly tolerated by peopleadults, and its consumption causes flatulence, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Buttermilk lactose is better tolerated than milk lactose as it is partially broken down by the lactic acid bacteria present in the drink. In people with lower lactose intolerance, the consumption of buttermilk does not even cause gastrointestinal problems.
Buttermilk, like yogurt and kefir, keeps the feeling of satiety for a long time after consumption, and at the same time provides few calories, therefore it is recommended for people on a slimming diet.
Buttermilk is an easily digestible product.In the digestive tract it is broken down 2-3 times faster than milk.
Buttermilk is considered a good product deacidifying the body. It contains about 0.6% lactic acid, which stimulates the secretion of gastric juice, and thus facilitates and regulates digestion. The presence of lactic acid promotes the development of beneficial intestinal bacteria, which translates into protection against infections, improved bowel function, regulating bowel movements, better nourishment of the intestinal epithelial cells and a lower risk of colon cancer.
Do you know what good bacteria live in our body?
The presence of lactic acid bacteria makes buttermilk a product helpful in regulating the balance of the intestinal flora - it increases the amount of beneficial bacteria and reduces the multiplication of putrefying pathogenic bacteria of the genusClostridium .
Nutritional value per 100 g of buttermilk
| Energy | 45 kcal |
| Protein | 3.4 g |
| Fat | 1.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.5 g |
| Sodium | 60 mg |
| Potassium | 150 mg |
| Phosphorus | 80 mg |
| Calcium | 110 mg |
| Magnesium | 13 mg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.04 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.17 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.2 µg |
Calcium is an important component of buttermilk in the development of children, preventing osteoporosis and influencing the condition of the circulatory system. A glass of the drink covers the daily calcium requirement in about 20%.
Buttermilk contains B vitamins, participating in energy transformations and responsible for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
Another very valuable ingredient of buttermilk is lecithin. It is found in fat cells that are broken apart during the production of butter and passes almost entirely to itbuttermilk. Lecithin affects memory and concentration, supports liver function, participates in the metabolism of fat and cholesterol, slows down the aging of cells and has many other important functions.
ImportantHow to store buttermilk?
Buttermilk's expiry date is usually 21-23 days, and after opening it, it is best to consume it within 24 hours. It should always be stored in the refrigerator, because the temperature above 10 ° C promotes the growth of pathogenic bacteria, and the drink loses some of its nutritional value and tastes worse. After opening, buttermilk is best stored on the top shelf of the refrigerator (tightly closed, because it easily absorbs odors), where there are good conditions for beneficial lactic acid bacteria, and putrefactive pathogenic bacteria do not develop.
Culinary uses of buttermilk
Buttermilk is a light, refreshing drink that works well for quenching thirst in the summer heat. You can drink it alone, as an addition to new potatoes cooked with dill or as a base for cocktails with fruit and honey.
Buttermilk can be used to prepare many baked goods, incl. moist fruit cakes, waffles, and thick pancakes that are popular in the United States.
Buttermilk is used to prepare soups - sour rye soup and cold soup, and traditional Łowicz Christmas Eve dish - buttermilk and flour soup with dried plums and orange peel. This milk drink is perfect as a marinade for meat and fish, which become more tender and do not dry out during baking. Homemade sausage made of roasted turkey breast previously marinated in buttermilk is a great alternative to products from the store - it is delicate, juicy and natural. In the past, buttermilk was used to cook Sunday butter broth and to fry plump pancakes with it. It was considered the perfect thirst-quenching drink during the harvest season and was an attraction for tourists visiting mountain regions.