From the page: The kitchen's acid gold
Idea 1
Homemade sour milk
Long before buttermilk existed on store shelves, cooks soured milk with lemon to make cakes and batters — the fruit's acidity destabilizes the milk's proteins, which cluster slightly and add creaminess. It's this reaction that makes buttermilk cakes so tender: the acid reacts with the leavening, releasing extra gas into the batter.
What you need
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (about half a lemon)
- 1 cup of milk (whole milk works best)
- A container with a lid or a small plate to cover it
- A spoon to stir
How to make it
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1
Squeeze the lemon and measure the amount: the classic ratio is 1 tablespoon per cup of milk, ensuring enough acidity for the reaction.
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2
Put the juice in the bottom of the container and fill with milk up to the cup mark — mixing in the right order prevents curdling too much on one side only.
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3
Stir well and wait 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature: you'll see the milk lightly curdled, with a creamy look, and that's exactly what we want.
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4
Use right away or store in the fridge for up to 2 days — the acidified milk is already stable, since the acid inhibits the growth of unwanted bacteria.
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5
In recipes, replace regular milk with this mixture wherever buttermilk is called for, with no other changes needed.
Finishing touches
Perfect for vanilla cakes, pancakes and scones. Already-squeezed lemon leftovers work great here — it's the ideal destination for those halves left over from a seasoning.
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