Baking assistance
13Got a baking question. Currently have banana bread baking in the oven. The recipe called for buttermilk and to mix it in with the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and baking powder until smooth. The buttermilk separated and looked super gross once it started mixing. When I smushed the mixture between my fingers it was smooth and not curdled feeling so I figured I’d continue on seeing as flour is pretty inexpensive. Added the flour and remaining ingredients and everything looked and smelled fine.
It’s baking in the oven and smells great. I’ll find out later today if it failed or not, but it was just bizarre. Any ideas? When I try to Google, it just keeps giving me results for buttermilk substitutes of clabbered milk.
- 5 comments, 21 replies
- Comment
So I am no cook but mom was and I recall her saying (as she tried in vain to get us to like cooking when we were young) that when buttermilk doesn’t curd if it goes bad but if there is mold growing it definitely needs thrown out; that chunks are just bits of butter and that buttermilk doesn’t curd - just shake it. That being said, if I recall correctly if it is too old it does change the taste a bit.
That’s because modern commercial buttermilk is “cultured” buttermilk, unlike the unsophisticated country buttermilk we used to get in olden days as a byproduct of making butter. Modern cream separators work so fast that the leftover whey doesn’t have time for the natural enzymes in the milk to ferment, so they add in citric acid/vinegar later to give it the right taste and consistency. But it tends to separate. Not to worry, though, as the finished baked goods should taste the same with either type of buttermilk.
Since I don’t use up a lot of buttermilk, and it is hard to know when it goes bad, I keep powdered buttermilk (made from the old-fashioned “uncultured” variety) in the freezer and reconstitute what I need for baking. It’s rather docile and content to be mixed in without clumping or separating. The finished product is more-or-less the same as using cultured stuff.
@rockblossom it makes me wonder because this was a different brand than I was used to. It was all they had at the store and I’m not crazy about it because I actually drink buttermilk and it didn’t taste as good. I’ve never had issues with the other brand separating in batters before.
The end result was fine, just kind of bland and slightly overcooked on the outside edges. I just cut those off. I think I needed to let the bananas ripen more. They were beyond what I would normally eat, but not fully black as I’ve seen some people use.
I keep hearing about the powdered buttermilk. I suppose I’ll have to buy it online because I’ve never seen it in a store. It would be nice to have on hand for when I can’t find the usual brand of buttermilk.
@RiotDemon Just like with the dairy aisle stuff, powdered buttermilk has a lot of variance for taste/texture/acidity depending on the brand. Saco is one of the most acidic, while the Bob’s Red Mill is on the sweet/creamy end. If the powdered stuff needs more acidity, you can add citric acid or a bit of vinegar, but finding the right brand that tastes right to you might take some experimenting. I’ve seen the Saco brand in just about every major grocery store, but it could be a regional thing.
@rockblossom my grocery store says they constantly throw away buttermilk because no one buys it. So maybe no one buys powdered here either.
@rockblossom I keep powdered buttermilk in the refrigerator, too. I just measure out the right amount , mix it in with the dry ingredients for the biscuits or pancakes or whatever, and then use water for the wet. Works great.
They have powdered buttermilk here too in our tiny town but this is the south. It really works well.
I rarely buy buttermilk most of the time because i can never remember to use it. I just clabbor sweet milk with a spoonful of lemon or lime juice.
@RiotDemon
When I first saw this, I thought you were making an announcement (“Huh, so that’s what they call it now.”) Then I realized you really were talking about baking.
We usually just do the lemon juice trick unless trying to do something special.
@mehcuda67
/giphy it’s a boy!
@mehcuda67 lol. I hope if it ever happens, I don’t talk about baking anything in my oven.
So… On the topic of banana bread… My husband worked a triathlon last week and brought home about 3 dozen beaten up bananas. Even if I use a dozen to make banana bread, there are sooo many more to use. Any good ideas?
@mikibell banana pudding, banana split ice cream desert, banana ice cream, cut up bananas in jello, bananas on cereal… banana chocolate chip bars (I cheated with this one and googled “recipes for bananas”).
@Kidsandliz I forgot about bananas in jello!
@mikibell caramelized in butter and brown sugar to top pancakes/desserts.
You can make a pancake out of a banana and an egg. I recommend blending them together and adding cinnamon and vanilla. Then they’re pretty tasty. Put your caramelized banana on top for double bananas?
@RiotDemon yummmmy…
@mikibell @RiotDemon what?! Oh wow that sounds so good! Just one egg and one banana? Mixed really well?
@moonhat Yup, it works well. The banana is best at room temp so it can be thoroughly mashed up before mixing it with the egg. I like to use coconut oil to lightly oil the pan for banana pancakes and add a dusting of cinnamon.
@moonhat @rockblossom So this is is sort of like a banana omelet. Right?
@moonhat that’s why I suggest the blender. I did not like them when mixed with a fork and without cinnamon and vanilla. They just tasted like scrambled eggs and cooked banana. Add the cinnamon and vanilla and it tastes like cooked bananas mostly.
@kidsandliz
/youtube two ingredient pancakes
@mikibell really close to what @RiotDemon said with the caramelized bananas in butter and brown sugar… add some rum and ice cream and make bananas foster.
@mikibell freeze them for future baking. Also banana ice cream
@mikibell
Banana milk shake:
Combine in blender and mix on high until smooth.
Enjoy!
/image banana milk shake
@mikibell Did you buy a Yonanas from Meh by any chance? I need to go find mine. And freeze some bananas.
@mikibell @RiotDemon Wait, what? I can make pancakes out of bananas and eggs, instead of flour???
@mehbee yep! They’re not the same as a regular pancake, but they’re tasty.
@RiotDemon I’m definitely trying those!