Questions on Buttermilk Starter

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• From Patricia Visser at 4/16/12 6:56 PM
  • Like Anneliese McGeehan, I would like to make quark from home made buttermilk. Can you please inform me exactly which bacteria are in your buttermilk starter?
    
    Thanks!
  • As stated in the product description, the bacteria in this culture is Streptococcus Lactis. Our Buttermilk and Sour Cream direct set starter includes Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis biovar diacetylactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris.
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• From Anneliese McGeehan at 1/27/12 5:47 PM
  • I would like to make quark with home made buttermilk.
    What is the best starter for the buttermilk and where can I buy it. I will be using homogenized milk.
    Thank you.
  • Well, we are pretty fond of the buttermilk on this page. You can buy it right here, online. Or, click on our link for Retail Locations at the bottom of the web page, and see if there is a retailer near you. Not all of our retailers carry all of our products, but you can contact them for availability.
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• From d at 12/8/11 1:54 PM
  • If using non-homogenized milk, do you skim the cream off the top first?
  • It is not necessary to skim the cream off the milk before making buttermilk.
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• From CR at 10/25/11 6:27 PM
  • If one has both products in the kitchen, is there a possibility of cross- contamination? What precautions?
  • Yes, it is important to keep at least several feet (and preferably more) between all cultured or fermented foods when they are actively fermenting (on the counter, lids off). If your cultures are capped and being stored in the fridge, space between them isn't necessary.
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• From C the cheesemaker at 9/10/11 3:21 PM
  • Hi I have been searching the internet and havent been able to find the answer to... Can kefir be used as a mesophilic starter when making homemade cheese as butter milk can??? thanks :)
  • Kefir is a completely different product than buttermilk, and will give different results. If you add kefir to milk, you may very likely get more kefir (if the bacteria are active enough), but you won't get anything different.
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• From Lynda at 9/2/11 9:53 PM
  • what is the difference between buttermilk and Kefir?
  • Buttermilk and kefir are both essentially cultured milk products. They acidify the milk and enable thickening as the milk proteins coagulate (curdle).
    
    Buttermilk starter consists of one strain of bacteria. Kefir grains include around 30 strains of bacteria and yeast.
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• From RM at 8/2/11 6:32 PM
  • Can I make sour cream with this kit too?
  • Hello RM,
    
    You can use buttermilk to make sour cream:
    
    Use Buttermilk: Add 1-2 tablespoons of buttermilk or yogurt per cup of cream, cover lightly and allow to culture for 12-18 hours in a warm spot (70-80 F). When the culturing process is complete, place the sour cream in the fridge to cool.
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• From MaryAnne at 6/24/11 9:54 AM
  • What additional steps are needed for making buttermilk from raw milk?
  • The instructions for using this starter with raw milk are included in the package, and can also be downloaded here: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/media/docs/Cultured_Buttermilk_Instructions.pdf
    
    Basically, you must make and maintain a mother culture by heating a small amount of milk to 160 and letting it cool again before adding starter. You use the mother culture to inoculate each batch of raw milk.
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• From Meg at 5/1/11 12:14 PM
  • When using pasteurized milk to make buttermilk, is it necessary to scald the milk and then let it cool to room temperature before adding the starter? The instructions didn't specify but I've always been told to scald milk before culturing it; just want to make sure I'm not leaving anything out or adding any unnecessary steps. :)
  • You should not have to scald the milk before culturing it for buttermilk.
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