Fermented Dairy Ingredients 351(Walstra et al. 2006 ). A similar shelf life
of fi ve to 21 days is reported for most cul-
tured buttermilk sold in the United States
(Kristoffersen and Gould 1966 ).Use of Cultured Buttermilk
The commercial use of buttermilk is mainly
in the baking and dairy industries and in
prepared dry mixes (IDFA 2008 ). Other uses
of cultured buttermilk include plain or fl a-
vored beverages, salads or salad dressings
(Kosikowski and Mistry 1997 ), sauces, mari-
nades, soups, milk substitute (Scarpa 1997 ),
waffl es, and blintzes (Horn et al. 1997 ).
In baking, cultured buttermilk is used
in biscuits, pancakes (Horn et al. 1997 ),
breads, cookies, and cakes. In the dairy
industry, it is an ingredient in the manufac-
ture of recombined milks (Singh and Tokley
1990), cheese (Joshi et al. 1994 ), ice cream
(Chandan 1997 ), and yogurt (Trachoo and
Mistry 1998 ). In ice cream preparation, but-
termilk helps to smooth the texture and
prevent ice crystals. It also adds a richness of
fl avor, despite its low fat content. Buttermilk
also can be used as the main ingredient in
sorbet. In cooking, it can be used in sauces,
marinades, and as thickener and fl avoring
in soup and sauces as substitute for milk
(Scarpa 1997 ). Buttermilk is also used in
preparation of waffl es as well as blintzes
(Horn et al. 1997 ).Sour Cream
Sour cream is a thick, viscous fermented
dairy product with a white, rather shiny
appearance. It is a popular ingredient that is
mainly consumed with warm or hot foods
such as baked potatoes or Mexican foods
such as burritos. Due to its special character-
istics sour cream can remain stable even
when in contact with hot foods. This specifi c
characteristic is obtained through the use
of a certain bacterial strain that is used inQuality of Cultured Buttermilk
Cultured buttermilk may have defects in
fl avor and texture. Over acidifi cation during
storage is an occasional problem, but lack of
fl avor caused by reduction of diacetyl to
acetoin is more frequent (Monnet et al. 1995 ).
Unclean, putrid, and bitter fl avors are also
problems associated with cultured butter-
milk. Unclean fl avor is an indication of an
unclean raw material that may contain
Escherichia , Aerobacter , and psychrotrophic
bacteria such as Pseudomonas. The bitter
taste is derived from improper pasteurization
of milk, rendering limited deactivation of
proteolytic enzymes (Kosikowski and Mistry
1997 ). High acid and metallic fl avors are also
problems associated with the quality of cul-
tured buttermilk. The high acid fl avor is due
to continual growth of starter culture, thus
producing more lactic acid. This problem can
be solved by adding a small amount of starter
culture and monitoring the acidity closely.
The metallic fl avor results from the chemical
reaction of protein and fat oxidation catalyses
by copper contamination. Using stainless
steel or glass equipment during manufacture
and storage can limit this development
(Kosikowski and Mistry 1997 ).
Curd fl oating and wheying off are associ-
ated with the texture defects in cultured but-
termilk. Curd fl oating is due to the production
of carbon dioxide by citric - acid - fermenting -
bacteria (Walstra et al. 2006 ). Wheying off
is a phenomenon in which water is sepa-
rated from the curd. Although the separation
does not affect the nutritional value of
buttermilk, it is aesthetically objectionable
(Kosikowski and Mistry 1997 , Walstra et al.
2006 ). This problem can be solved by adding
thickening agents such as pectin (Walstra
et al. 2006 ).
Shelf Life of Cultured Buttermilk
At refrigerated temperature, the keeping
quality of cultured buttermilk is 2 to 3 weeks