How to make Powdered Buttermilk

 

Every Pantry should have the basic staples to make anything and that includes dried buttermilk powder. You can use it in soups, batters, marinades and so much more than just ranch dressing. Buttermilk powder can be liquified easily by adding water at a 1/4 cup of powder to 3/4 cups water and mix well. The reason why I began dehydrating buttermilk is because of two reasons, first it’s expensive and second because I never used it all by the time it expired date and I wasted that hard earned money by not using it in time. I hate wasting food of any kind.  I had a dehydrator at the time and it was easy to break it down into a powder, but now I don’t have one and I use the oven, you know the old-fashioned way of dehydrating like our grandparents did long ago. This recipe will be instructing you to use your oven, but if you have a dehydrator machine, feel free to use those directions.

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees f. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and line the paper with a thin layer of liquid buttermilk. Spread the buttermilk evenly over parchment paper. Make sure it’s a thin layer so that it dries out not burns in the oven. Place cookie sheet into oven and don’t open the door for 4 hours. By the end of 4 hours check to ensure that the buttermilk has dried out and is breakable. Once tested for breakage, remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Once cooled, break into pieces and I mean break into pieces, not a bending break. If your layer bends it’s not dried enough, put it back into the oven for about another hour. If it does break into piece, place into a food processor or blender and reduce to a powered form. Repeat until all buttermilk has been preserved into powered form. Store in an airtight container.  For the first week place the container into the fridge and shake it up once a day to ensure there is no moisture in the container. If for any reason mold begins to form, you didn’t follow the instructions correctly and you should throw out the powder and start again. If no mold forms, you can store the powder in the pantry for up to one year. That’s if it lasts that long. Mine never does because I use it for everything, baking, breaded coating for fried chicken, wings, dressings, and marinades. Use your imagination and you’ll up your food game for sure.

 

Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, journalist. business professional, and creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Masters in Criminology and a BS in Business Management who stepped out of the loop for a while, but who is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.