Food - Drink
Why You Should Always Have Buttermilk Powder In Your Pantry
By MEGGAN ROBINSON
With food prices rising every day, many of us want to save on money and food waste, and one strategy is to replace "speciality" ingredients with less expensive, longer-lasting versions. For instance, recipes often call for buttermilk in small amounts, but that the big old jug you purchased only lasts a week or two before spoiling.
The best way to save your buttermilk (and your money) from going to waste is to buy powdered buttermilk, which is buttermilk that's been heated and dehydrated. Other popular buttermilk substitutes include plain milk soured with lemon juice or vinegar, but this combination is still perishable and the flavor is not quite the same.
To reconstitute buttermilk powder, follow the ratio of water to powder printed on the package; this is usually one part powder to four parts water. Buttermilk powder can be stored in the pantry until you're ready to use it, but it should be refrigerated after it's opened, after which it can last for up to two years with no decline in quality.