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Buttermilk (DS) - 5 packets
Item #:C21 |
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This is a thick, old-fashioned New England Buttermilk which can be made with skim or whole milk. The amount of character (acid, flavor, texture) can be controlled by increasing or decreasing time and/or temperature.
CULTURE INCLUDES: lactose, (LL) lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, (LLC) lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, (LLD) lactococcus lactis subsp. biovar diacetylactis, (LMC) leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris.
YIELD: Each packet sets 1-2 quarts of milk and makes 1-2 quarts of buttermilk. We recommend using 1qt. If you would like to use 2qts, simply give it a little more time to set.
DIRECTIONS: At 72ºF, sprinkle 1 packet onto your milk and let it rehydrate for 1-3 minutes. Stir in to dissolve and let set 12 to 24 hours.
STORAGE: Keep packages in the freezer, they will last up to 2 years.
DISCOUNTS: If you really love these you can buy 12 or more (5 packs) and you will receive our price break of $3.00 for each 5 pack.
NOTE: Using our Yogotherm (E69) is a great way to incubate this culture. Your buttermilk will be thicker after it has cooled down. You may also use this culture in butter making. Make a Cream Cheese
Better than you can buy !
The
recipe for this month will be another simple cheese to make in the
kitchen. However, when I began researching this one in more detail I
found a lot about this cheese that I did not know before.
 Cream cheese is similar to Neufchatel from France except that cream cheese has more butterfat - starting
with a fat enriched milk of about 7-10%. When this has ripened and the
whey drained, the final cheese will have a much higher butterfat
content, depending on its final moisture.
Cream cheese also has a fresh acidity, due to the dairy bacteria
converting lactose to lactic acid. This helps to balance the rich
flavors from the cream.
However, if you are looking for a lighter cheese then you can easily
make a leaner cheese by using less cream or a lower butterfat % cream
(see my cream content chart here).
Lowering the fat content of the cream too much tends increasingly to
cause grainy texture and crumbly body, while increasing the fat content
excessively tends to cause excessive smoothness and stickiness.
Cream
cheese was originally produced in the US in New York State during the
late 1800’s. It originally acquired its association with “Philadelphia,”
not because it was made there but because at that time “Phillie” was
known as the home of top quality food.
In the commercial process, because cream cheese has a higher fat
content than other cheeses, and fat repels water, which tends to
separate from the cheese, stabilizers such as guar, xanthan gum, and
carob gums are added to prolong its shelf life. The commercial version
tends to be essentially an industrial concoction of milk, enough cream
to claim it's there and all sorts of gums and stabilizers to make it
appear like what it isn't.
Here is an ingredient list from the industry standard Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese: Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, and Milkfat, Cheese Culture, Salt, Stabilizers (Xanthan Gum, and/or Carob Bean Gum, and/or Guar Gum).
It is also cooked to much higher temperatures commercially to speed
the process up. This is good for the producer's cash flow but not so
good for the final product.
Because we try to keep these additions from our food sources here,
our process will not include anything but great milk and cream, a
traditional dairy culture and a few drops of rennet.
You will also find in the process instructions a rough guide for
ripening and draining time, but more importantly, I have provided
descriptions and visual cues to:
- Accommodate the differences in milk quality as well as milk/cream content.
- Allow you to produce exactly the style of cream cheese you want
A recipe for making your own cream cheese ..... |
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...In the style that best suits your taste. |
Before you begin:
You will need:
- 1 gallon of whole milk (3.25%). Make sure this is not ultra-pasturized, but homogenized is OK.
- Plus 1 pint of heavy cream (36-40%)
- Calcium chloride can be added for pasteurized cold stored milk and will help to form a firmer curd, using about 1/8-1/4 tsp per gallon of milk.
 1 packet of Ricki's Buttermilk culture, 1/8 tsp. of MM100 culture, or the same of Flora Danica
- Liquid rennet (4-8 drops either animal or vegetable)
- Salt - about 1 teaspoon (more can be added to suit your taste)
- Herbs, etc. (optional and to your taste)
- A large pot to hold 1.5-2 gallons of milk/cream
- A good thermometer
- A knife to cut the curds, and a spoon or ladle to stir the curds
- Molds
- A colander and butter muslin to drain the curds
Note: You can cut this recipe in half by using 1/2 of all ingredients.
Everything needs to be clean and sanitized. |
About the milk:
The  milk
I have chosen to use here is a local milk, but it is also one of the
milks that has been pasteurized at higher than normal temperatures (172F
as opposed to 161F).
I have selected this to use here because this is a milk that is becoming more and more common on store shelves.
 As you will see in the following photos this does form a very wonderful cream cheese with super flavor and texture.
The cream is ultra-pasteurized, as you can see by the label here.
This is not a problem, though, because the cream portion is just for the
butterfat.
 The milk portion will provide the proteins for curd formation and should not be ultra-pasteurized.
Some of our customers have tried using just half and half for their
cream cheese but this often tends to be ultra-pasteurized and will not
form a good solid curd since all of the proteins have been damaged in
the process. If you do find half and half that is not ultra-pasteurized,
that will work for a very rich cheese since it has a higher fat content
than the recipe I provide. This may also be more difficult to drain
since the butterfat holds the moisture.
NOTE:
If you do have access to raw
milk, you will find that you may need to use less culture and that your
ripening times are less. Your curd may also be firmer and you may find
that the cheese drains faster. If you pay attention to the ripening and
draining cues in the following process, you should be well on track to
making a great cheese from your raw milk. |
If you care to make up a different milk/fat ratio, this table may help
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Cream % Content in Dairy Products
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Heavy Whipping Cream |
36-40% |
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Light Whipping Cream |
30-36% |
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Light or Coffee Cream |
18-30% |
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Single Cream |
20% |
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Half and Half |
10.5% (10-18%) |
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Sour Cream |
18-20% |
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Whole Pasteurized milk |
3.25% | |
Pour t he milk into your pot and slowly heat to 86F.
Many recipes for this cheese suggest starting at room temperature, but
the culture works best at 86F and I prefer to start it there. Happy
culture always makes a better cheese. It is OK to allow the temperature
to drop to room temperature over time.
- Add 1/4 tsp calcium chloride solution and stir into the milk.
- Add 1 packet of buttermilk culture (or 1/8 tsp of our
MM100 culture). Allow this to rehydrate on the surface before stirring
into the milk (keeps it from clumping). Note: Our C101 or MA011 cultures will not provide the added flavor from their ripening strains nor the lighter texture.
- Add 4 drops of single strength rennet (animal or vegetable).
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 Cover the pot and set aside for ripening. The milk now needs to sit quiet for 12-24 hours
while the culture works and the rennet coagulates the curd. It is OK if
the temperature drops to a temperature of 68-72F. The thermal mass of
this milk should keep it warm for a while though.
This is where your natural flavor is developed from the complex
strains of lactic bacteria as they convert the milk sugars (lactose) to
lactic acid. These cultures will produce a buttery flavored compound
(Diacetyl) which is a natural byproduct of fermentation. Also a small
amount of tiny gas holes (CO2) will be formed causing a lighter texture
in the final cheese.
Note- Our C101 or MA011 cultures will not provide the added flavor from their ripening strains nor the lighter texture.
The higher process temperatures and thickener additions of commercial
producers are needed for their shorter process and do not allow the use
of this longer beneficial ripening time (this is the flavor development
time).
Ripening may take 12-24 hours depending on the milk quality and room
temperature. My conditions here show this ripening phase in about 14-16
hours but you should watch for the proper ripening of your own milk. I
encourage you to watch for this final ripening phase as described below.
This  final ripening can be determined visually
because when the proper amount of acid has been produced, you will
notice first small droplets of whey forming on the surface, then these
will collect as small pools and then finally a thin layer of whey will
cover the entire surface.
I usually determine the readiness by watching for small pools about 2-3” in size. You may also see the curd mass pull slightly away from the sides of the pot.
 
If you have a pH meter, the proper ripe state will measure about
5.1-4.9 pH or a titrateable acidity of .5% but there is no need to get
that technical here.
Too long a ripening may result in an over acid cheese.
Some acid production will continue during the draining stage so expect a bit more acid flavor while the whey drains off.
Too short a time may result in a weak curd that may be hard to drain
and may even run off through the cloth. Make sure the curd holds a good
clean break when cut before transferring to the cloth for draining. |
Once the final ripening of the milk has been reached, the curd mass should now be firm enough to be transferred with a slotted spoon to the draining cloth.
 Prepare
a sanitized colander. You need either 1 large or 2 medium sized since
this will be a lot of curd to be drained. Line this with a double layer
of the butter muslin. Make sure you have a container to collect the whey
in. This can be used for cooking, drinking, etc. but not for making
ricotta due to high acid.
Transfer the curd to the cloth for draining (be careful since this is quite fragile at this point and may break)
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| Allow this to drain for 1-2 hours to release much of the whey- then pull all 4 corners of the cloth up and tie off with a string. Hang this in an area 68-74F to drain into a pot or sink for another 10-20 hours.
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During the draining time you should open the cloth every 3-4 hours
and scrape the curd from the cloth- mixing the curds to encourage
better whey drainage. If your schedule does not permit this it may just
take longer to drain.
Also, at the last mixing of the curds 1 tsp. salt can be added for flavor and to encourage the final whey release.
The final draining time will depend on your preference for texture.
The longer it drains, the drier and stiffer (less spreadable) the final
cheese. I drain mine here about 16-20 hours for a nice firm cream
cheese but still quite spreadable.
If you find your cream cheese with too much moisture, then simply
drain it a bit longer next time. Remember that warmer draining
temperatures will drain moisture more quickly. Also, the rate of
draining will depend on different milk qualities and higher fat milks
will drain more slowly.
Finishing the cream cheese:
When the cheese has reached its final consistency, you can then use a
spoon to blend it well in a bowl for a more homogenous cheese. This
would be the time to add any herbs, spices, etc. and to adjust the salt
to your taste. You may even use fresh herbs in this because it should
all be eaten fresh within a few days.
I transfer mine to small clean and sanitized plastic tubs with lids
and store at fridge temps. Freshness is never a problem here because
it's gone in just a few days. You should easily get 8-10 days or even
more of storage for this cheese.
My yield is normally about 1.5-2 pints of cream cheese from the original 5 pints of milk/cream.
Tips:
- If your curd is too soft at the end of the initial ripening time, wait a few more hours (up to another 4-6 hrs). If this does not help, try keeping the milk 3-5F warmer on the next try. Also, you can increase the rennet up to double the recommendation.
- If your final cheese is too acid, then use less time in the initial ripening phase OR use a bit less culture.
- If your final cheese is too dry, use less draining time in the cloth. If too moist use more.
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That's it for this month. Enjoy your new adventure in cheese making.
  | Tip from a customer!!
"Just a tip for long incubations requiring
temperatures of 86-100F: If your oven has a Proofer setting, you can use
that. If not, you can use a poor mans proofer, in which you boil 2 cups
of water in a pot or large glass measuring cup, cover it and put it in
the oven for 15 minutes while you heat your milk. Remove the pot and put
in the cultured milk. The oven will stay a balmy 92-96F for hours!!"
Jim, our tech man, had this to add: There are many other ways to do this
as well. Mine is to use an insulated cooler with bottles of warm water
to hold the temps. This will keep your oven open for use and you can
move the cooler out of the way.
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This culture makes a great butter milk. My wife is very fond of butter milk especially with a little salt. Ever since I started making the b.m. she'll drink it again!
So much fun using the buttermilk!!!
So I ended up with a gallon of organic pasteurized milk and some of these packets of culture. I do not like buttermilk to drink, or milk. But I made 4 liters of this. It was beautiful and really thick. With my buttermilk this weekend, I made 1. The world's best biscuits, 2. UNBElievable pancakes, 3. Cool buttermilk blue cheese dressing for my salad, 4. Cornbread, 5. Two pints of crazy good buttermilk sour cream. And I still have 2 liters of this stuff to play with. I have it in old fashioned jars with glass and rubber tops. It's pretty and I'm happy to say that I am loving this way of making buttermilk. It's not like anything I've ever had and it elevates each of the things I've made in my kitchen to a whole new level.
I was given this packet by Tess Schaffner from Off The Vine Market here in Williamsburg. We used milk from Trickling Springs Creamery purchased at the market and frankly were a bit skeptical if this would work. After following the instructions and waiting the 24 hour period, my mother and grandmother and I found the glass jar of milk and transformed into actual buttermilk. We used Creamline Milk and we think because of this, it gave the milk it's nice thick appearance. My grandmother said it tastes like the buttermilk of her childhood.
I love this this starter!
I make my own buttermilk from 3% cow milk UHP- this starter works slowly, but gives a wonderful thick tangy cultured milk product!
I add ussually(for 1 lt of milk ) - 2 tbsp of dry low-fat milk, 1 tsp of inulin, and in last batch i added 2 tsp of honey (something 30 minuts before thickening - when milk is still liquid).
Thank you!
Using Buttermilk-DS as a mesophilic starter
This starter, of course, makes wonderful cultered buttermilk and a tangy buttermilk soft cheese, as instructed in Ricki's book. Out of curiosity, I tried the Buttermilk-DS starter in in a farmhouse CHEDDAR recipe. It produced a good, firm curd (with a subtle buttery aroma), and produced a lovely, solid wheel after pressing up to 50 pounds. The cheese, after 6 weeks of aging in wax at 48 degrees, resembles gouda with a bit more acid tang. Very nice. One further experiment was to use it in Ricki's recipe for Swiss-style CREAM CHEESE. For this, I deviated from the her published recipe by using 1 packet of Buttermilk-DS in 2 quarts (rather than 1 quart) of Kroger brand Half and Half (the 1 quart Kroger Half and Half is not UP, although their similar label 1/2 gallon IS UP!), and performed all the lengthy setting and draining at 63 degrees F (the winter temp of my kitchen) rather than her suggested 65 degrees. Press weight was 10 pounds. WOW! Whereas the predicted yield was about 1 pound, I ended up with 2 pounds of the richest, creamy and full-flavored cream cheese I've ever tasted. I suspect that the Leuconostoc mesenteroides subspecies cremoris that appears to be contained in the Buttermilk-DS came into its own at the lower temperature. One could imagine that this particular bug lurks in the raw milk of the Alps. My point in writing this review is to encourage others to consider the Buttermilk-DS starter as an interesting variant for any recipies that call for a simple direct-set mesophilic starter. [As a probiotic, the s. cremoris appears from the scientific literature to be more potent than the various probiotic bugs found in yogurts.]
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| I was given some of this culture from the Flack Family Farm in Vermont--it is awesome! I ran out and Doug Flack gave me your website. Thanks for an amazing product. |
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| I ordered and recieved my cultures including the one for Buttermilk. I made the first QT according to directions by pasturizing my Goat milk. Delicious! Since then I have made two more batches with RAW milk and used one packet to a half Gallon. This is also just GREAT! Thanks for the wonderful culture! |
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| I was given some C21 Buttermilk culture from a friend, sure did make good butermilk. Thank you, Mary Harvey, VA |
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The Cheese Queen is in Food and Wine and Barbara Kingsolver's
book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle!
Thanks for joining our cheese making family, keep those stories & photos coming. We love to hear from you!
In Peace,
Ricki, the cheese queen | |