Homemade Buttermilk

Come summers and who doesn’t love to indulge in a glass of cool homemade buttermilk with a sprinkling of salt, asafoetida and curry leaves? It triggers our fragrant childhood memories, when our grandmothers used to make homemade butter and we would anxiously wait for the tedious process to end in order to savor the buttermilk till the last sip—a potion for our parched throats. Yes, buttermilk dates back to the time when absolutely nothing went into waste in the traditional homestead, not even the liquid left over after churning butter! When combined with naturally air-borne bacteria, the liquid thickened and soured and turned into a tangy drink instead. So, let not the name fool you by any chance. Buttermilk is anything but butter. During the process of churning, the butter separates, leaving the skimmed milk, enzymes and bacteria to themselves. When the liquid is allowed to ferment, the lactose breaks into lactic acid and results in our very own traditional buttermilk. And, do you know the best part about buttermilk? It’s absolutely fat free. So, for those who toil in the sweltering heat every day, a quick drink of buttermilk after a hard day’s of work would surely make you experience heavenly bliss. Just read through the following lines and know how to make homemade buttermilk. Nothing could be simpler than this.