Canning 101

     This is the last of the canning instruction posts for now. I've already touched on food safety, what's what and pectin. This is a quick reference for the beginner and maybe a refresher for the more experienced. It only pertains to canning in a boiling water bath. I'll go over the equipment I use and some of the terms you'll likely encounter along the way. All in time to take advantage of strawberry season.

Equipment

My agate water bath canners and my blancher

     The first thing you'll need is a canner. You don't have to buy one like I have, although I highly recommend it, any big stock pot will do. If you are using a stock pot there are two things to remember.

     One, there has to be a rack of some kind to lift the jars off the bottom of the pot. If there isn't, the jars will crack because of the temperature differential between the bottom of the pot and the boiling water.

     Two, the pot has to be tall enough to cover the completely submerged jars with at least an inch of water and then another couple of inches above that to prevent boil over. If the jars are not kept completely covered with water, they will not seal properly and you are not "canning" a safe product.

     Go with the agate canner, they are designed for it and will make life a lot easier. I have two to accommodate the large, litre, and smaller jars, 125, 250 and 500 ml. You can do both in the larger pot, but not in the smaller.

     I have a blancher just because the insert makes it more convenient. You can blanch in any stock pot. I  find mine faster and I burn myself less, enough said.

The bits and pieces

     The picture above is all the little bits and pieces I have collected to make things easier when I'm working.

     The essentials, all the red bits in front. They are a "canning kit", jar lifter, tongs, funnel and lid lifter. Any hardware store should sell them and they are quite inexpensive. All make working around boiling water and with hot products easier and safer, something I need, clumsy.

     In the back, a Chinese sieve with pestle, my eight cup measuring cup, a scale and up front on the right a food mill.

    The sieve and pestle are for straining juice for jelly and I use mine for processing tomatoes as well. Not necessary but nice to have.

     The large measuring cup, very handy, but again not essential.

     The scale is essential. It doesn't have to be like mine but many recipes are by weight not volume so a scale of some kind is needed.

     The food mill is for separating apple pulp (apple sauce) from the seeds and skins when I am making apple stock. It is the only time this gets dusted off. I must admit I find it awkward to use.

     I almost forgot my thermometer. There are several ways to test the gel if you are making jelly or jam but I rely on temperature, 8 degrees above boiling or 220 Fahrenheit, about 104 degrees Celsius. It hasn't failed me yet.

Three piece sealing jar, band, jar and lid (attached to the lid lifter)

     You need jars. For safety's sake, only use the modern three piece jars shown above. They are not what my grandmother used but are considered the only safe way to put up home made preserves.

     Finally, and this is essential, a good cookbook or recipes that follow modern canning techniques. Because making various types of preserves depend on exact conditions being met to either "set" or to be safe, do yourself a favour and invest in a good book. There are lots to choose from but my personal favourite is "Gourmet Preserves, Chez Madelaine" by Madelaine Bullwinkel. She goes into lots of detail about the how's and why's of doing things. I have four others and family or Internet recipes so there are lots of choices out there. I have adapted most of the recipes I use a bit but very carefully and with lots of knowledge behind me about what affects what.

Terms and Procedures

     Probably the most important procedure is to sterilize your jars and lids. Both need to be clean to prevent contamination or spoilage.  For the jars, I use the 10 minutes in a water bath method. I already have the canner out so..... There are other methods but I don't use them so I can't comment on the effectiveness or safety. One thing I did stumble across was a dishwasher with a sterilize cycle, that would be convenient.

     To sterilize the lids, I start them in warm water and bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat. I do this just before I'm ready to jar what ever I am making. If you over heat the lids, the rubber rings can separate and your jars won't seal properly. I also never re use lids.

     You don't have to worry about the bands, they don't come in contact with the food, they just have to be clean.    

     Head space is the space between what you have made and the top of the jar. It is there to allow air to escape during processing to create your seal. When in doubt, I fill my jars to the first threads on the jar that hold the band in place.

     Processing is putting your preserve in a boiling water bath or pressure canner for a specific amount of time. It does two things. It kills bacteria by bringing your product to a specified temperature for the correct amount of time and it helps to ensure the "seal".

     The seal is how tight the lid of your jar is. It prevents air getting into your jars and causing spoilage. A properly sealed lid should be slightly bowed in and not move if you press it with your fingertip. As jars cool you should hear the lids "ping". When you try to remove a properly sealed lid, it should be relatively difficult to get off. If it pops off in your hand easily, chances are something is amiss.

     Finger tip tight applies to how tightly the band is put on the jar before you process them. Too tight and your lids will buckle, no proper seal achieved. Too loose and water gets in and again no proper seal. Screw the bands on lightly with your finger tips and tighten them down after your jars have cooled after processing.

     Hot packing refers to filling your jars with your preserve when they are still hot, just off the stove. It is to keep the temperature up and reduce processing times. For jams and jellies, this also helps prevent overcooking and breaking your gel.

     One last procedure I can think of off the top of my head is removing the air from your jars. As you are filling jars, pockets of air can get trapped. Running a knife around the inside edge will usually get the worst of them. The pockets of air can hold mold spores, bacteria etc that might not process properly and can ruin all of your efforts.

     There are other things I could touch on, process or techniques I know of or have heard of, but I want to keep this focused on food safety and not stray off on tangents, presenting pros and cons of things I don't do in my own kitchen.

     There you have it, my quick (?) guide on canning. Did I forget something? I'm sure I did. Drop me a line or leave a comment and let me know. Feel free to share your experiences or techniques. Hopefully this will help you enjoy the fruits of the season all year long.

Food safety for the home canner

     This is the second last of the pre canning posts and by far the most important, food safety. There is no joy in making people sick with your home made products. Although there is a risk factor, it is perfectly safe to can at home. Just remember to be smart and follow recipes and processing times, they are there for a reason.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria

     May as well start with the big one, botulism. It is caused by the bacteria above and thrives in a moist, anaerobic(no oxygen), low acid environment. Improperly canned foods can be perfect. The reason for concern is that there is no odour or obvious sign of spoilage with this particular little bug.

     The good news, most fruit is acidic, vinegar is acidic so if those are the what you are using to can, jams, jellies, pickles, you are safe, carry on. One of the tricky ones is tomatoes. They straddle the safe pH level and you'll notice recipes for boiling water canning contain vinegar or lemon juice to boost the acidity to make them safe. Don't omit or reduce either.

      To neutralise the bacteria, you need a temperature of 240 degrees for at least three minutes. You can only do that in a pressure canner. Your low acid food, vegetables, meats, dairy products and fish, all need to be processed in a pressure canner for the recommend times and pressures. Don't wing it, ever. Why take the risk?

     The next big three, E. Coli, Salmonella and Listeria are also heat sensitive but at a lower temperature and a boiling water bath is sufficient. Again, make sure you process for the recommended amount of time.

     All of the above are quite common and are present in our environments, the same goes for the variety of molds and fungi that can spoil your efforts. That is why it is important to keep your work spaces and utensils clean. You can contaminate your sterilized jars and lids if you aren't careful. Make sure all fruit and vegetables are properly washed, don't use the same knives or cutting boards if you are handling higher risk food like meat or poultry (or at all, really) and always wash your hands after handling food. It only makes sense.

     If you don't get a proper seal, refrigerate and eat right away. If the lids bulge or buckle after storage, discard. Properly sealed, the lids should be hard to remove not just come off by themselves. Same thing for discoloured, moldy or food with a funny smell ( I was going to say unpleasant, but I have canned goods that don't smell great but that is what they smell like).

     Use proper jars and lids and don't re use the lids, you can't guarantee a proper seal otherwise.

     Use proper techniques. Boiling water or pressure canning is the only safe way to can at home. Open kettle, steam or the dishwasher are not safe. Yes, maybe 99.9 percent of the time nothing bad will happen but really, why?

     Do consult with you local province, state or federal food safety agency. Most have very comprehensive lists on how to can just about everything safely. Here is the link to just one. I couldn't find the Canadian one, I've seen it so I know it exists, but where???

     Canning at home has changed a lot over the years. Many things your mother, grandmother or anyone else for that matter did, may not be recommended today. I have had lots of heated discussions on the subject of food safety and canning at home. Check and make sure, be smart and be safe.

     If you notice a mistake by all means let me know and I'll correct it. Same thing if I left something out. Next up is the Canning 101 post, all about the equipment you need to start making your own home made preserves. Thanks for stopping by.

    

It's gotta be jam cuz......

     Surprisingly, there is a lot of discussion or should I say questions about what preserve is what. Names can vary from country to country, region to region so here is my understanding and criteria for what makes what.

Top to bottom, marmalade, chutney, conserve

     Even the term canning is used in different ways so let's start there. It applies to the process of preserving fruits, vegetables and meats in either a boiling water or pressure canner. To some it applies only to the use of a pressure canner, preserving low acid food. To me canning is the first, putting up any kind of preserve.

     Preserves are anything that is .... well......  preserved. That is opposed to smoked, salted, fermented, dried or frozen, all other ways of preserving your food. Jams, jellies, chutney, butters, compotes and pickles are all examples of different types of preserves.

     Preserves are also a category on their own. They are fruit, whole or sliced, that are preserved in a syrup. For example, I have a delicious Spiced Peach with Honey preserve recipe. It is peach slices in a honey syrup. The peaches are blanched in the syrup and then packed hot and processed in the canner. Preserves typically look like the fruit you started out with, they aren't cooked down.

     Jam vs jelly, jelly is made from the strained juice, jam from the whole fruit. Jelly is opaque with particles in suspension in the case of pepper or herb jellies. Jam is not see through and contains the juice and pulp. Both are set, a spoonful will not run, settle or change shape unless heated. You make marmalade by adding a lot of citrus rind to either of the above. I have recipes for both preparations.

     Between preserves and jam or jelly there are several others, stewed fruit or compote, butters, chutney, salsas and conserves.

     Compotes are full fruit that are cooked and reduced. The amount of reduction depends on your taste. When spooned out normally they will separate a little, juice from pulp. Chutney and salsa fall into this group. Chutney normally is heavily spiced and has other dried fruit or nuts in it, salsa also usually spiced and the fruit is in larger pieces and not reduced a lot. There is no "set" in any of the above.

     Fruit butters, apple and tomato are my favourites, are full fruit cooked and reduced quite a lot. They can be as runny as tomato sauce or as stiff as paste, the choice is yours. Again, no "set".

     That brings us to conserves, full fruit, cooked just to the gel point and a very soft set. A conserve will not hold its shape if spooned on to a plate. This is my favourite type of "jam".

     That just leaves pickles. Pickles are any fruit or vegetable preserved in a vinegar brine. The brine has to be at least 5 percent acid for food safety and can be sweetened with sugar, pickled crab apples, spiced , dill anything or just plain. Usually there is salt in the brine if it isn't a sweet pickle.

     Here is a little tip for anyone who is just starting out. One of the biggest complaints for new and experienced alike is jam or jelly that doesn't set. Do I worry? Not a chance. As I mentioned earlier in the pectin post I'm not a huge fan of jam or jelly. There are a few I like and make but I much prefer the softer set of conserves or no set of butters and compotes. Don't tell. If your jam doesn't set, you weren't making jam, you were going for a conserve or a compote. Who's to know? I promise I won't tell. LOL

     Unfortunately for jelly, it is a little harder to convince people you were going for hot pepper coulis but why not, give it a try. Jelly can be reheated and tried again. I have done it and had it set beautifully the second time, so don't despair. Unless you scorch it, you can usually salvage it and at the very least, it's good on iced cream.

     Did I leave anything out? Drop me a line or comment and let me know how you distinguish your preserves. Take care.

    

Are you gelling? All about Pectin

     Canning season is here, I covered sugar so now it's time to talk a bit about pectin, what it is and how it works. You can't make jam or jelly without it so it is always good to know a little bit about the stuff.

     Pectin is found in all fruit in various quantities. It is a hetropolysaccaride(complex carbohydrate) found in the cell wall of  plants and is what gives an apple it's crisp texture. It acts much like collagen in our skin. The highest concentrations are in the skin and core. For our purposes here, there are two types, high and low methoxyl.

The pectin molecule

     Pectin has a variety of health benefits, helps lower cholesterol, can be used as a detoxifier and is a good source of soluble dietary fibre. Unfortunately this is only before you make jam with it. An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away.

     Most of us are familiar with high methoxyl pectin. In traditional jam and jelly making, at the right temperature, sugar and acid make pectin bind with water creating a gel or setting the jam/jelly. Many fruits have enough but there are also commercial brands that allow the added pectin boost to set things like strawberries or rhubarb that aren't high enough on their own. You can also make pectin stock or your own powder at home.

     Where does the commercial stuff come from? It is made from the leftovers of juice extraction, apple pomace or citrus fruit rind. It is a natural product. It comes in a powder or liquid form. They are different concentrations, so are not interchangeable in your recipes.

Powdered pectin

     Why is it added to most store bought products? Pectin is heat sensitive and if over cooked, loses it gelling capability. Most commercially produced jams are cooked at high temperatures, for longer periods and in large quantities, destroying the natural pectin in the fruit so it is added to set the finished product. This is why you can't, or shouldn't, double or triple your recipes at home.

     Why all that sugar? High methoxyl pectin requires very specific conditions be met to produce a gel, if they aren't your recipe won't set. Jelly is very sensitive to changing sugar quantities, it is just juice. Jam is a little more forgiving because you have the added pectin of the fruit, but only a little.

     That brings us to low methoxyl or no sugar pectin. True no sugar pectin binds in the presence of calcium. You have to add the calcium, usually in the form of calcium phosphate, to your recipe. The plus is this is a more stable form of pectin that doesn't degrade over time. You don't end up with expired stuff that won't work, and believe me I've tried and it doesn't. You can add as little or much sugar or any other sweetener as you like. You can double or triple recipes. On the negative side, no sugar jams and jellies spoil faster when open, no preservative effect from sugar. It is more expensive and harder to find than regular pectin.

     The low sugar pectin I have seen all have dextrose, another name for glucose, as the first ingredient so .....
I don't use it because I don't have a recipe I like that calls for it, so no experience there.

     Do I need to use extra pectin? Absolutely not. This opens up the whole long boil vs short boil debate.

     Traditional jam and jelly making is the long boil. Fruit and sugar are boiled until it reaches the gel point, 8 degrees Fahrenheit above the boiling point, 220 degrees, roughly 104 degrees Celsius. It takes as much time as it takes. I can't be any more specific than that because it varies. You don't typically need to add pectin to these recipes because pectin poor fruits are combined with pectin rich fruit or juice to achieve the gel.

     Short boil is exactly that. A minute or two after your mixture reaches the boiling point, you add your pectin, cook a minute or two longer and it is done.

      Adding pectin shortens cooking times and increases yield and nutrient content. True, but none of my recipes cook more than 20 minutes, the increase, a lot of it is water and as far as nutrient content, heat sensitive nutrients are destroyed at certain temperatures. Yes, prolonging cooking time makes it worse but not by huge leaps and bounds. Besides, jam or jelly is not my go to for minerals and vitamins, nor should it be yours, it isn't particularly high to start with.

     The only difference to me is taste. Personally I find the two products are different and prefer the taste of the long boil. It is more intense because the fruit is more concentrated and the longer cooking time caramelizes some of the sugar. Strictly a personal preference. I'm not a fan of freezer jam at all although it does make good ice cream topping.

     I know it doesn't sound like it but I do use the stuff myself and have been very pleased with the results. I just like to present both sides of the argument. The choice is yours.

     In all honesty, I'm not a huge fan of jam or jelly. I do make and love some but I prefer the texture and taste of fruit butters or compotes skipping  the pectin/sugar debate entirely.

     Are you gelling? Leave me a comment below and let me know your experiences working with or without added pectin. Take care.


   

By any other name, is it still so sweet?

     This is really an addendum to the post on sugar, but something I decided that needs a little attention, sweeteners. I'll keep it short and am really mainly concerned with how it behaves when you cook with it. This is again not the definitive work on the subject, just my musings.

     There are quite a few sweeteners on the market, some derivatives of sugar, some chemical and I only know of one that falls into the natural category.

       One of the best know is sorbitol. It is a sugar alcohol with half the calories of sugar. The majority comes form birch bark, cheap, renewable and plentiful. You may also know it by xylitol or glucitol.

     In the chemical category, there is aspartame or saccharin. I have no dietary restrictions so have no experience with either.

     That brings us to stevia, the only natural sweetener I am aware of. It is a member of the sunflower family and a native of South America. It has been in use there for over 500 years and has been used since the '70's in Japan. Because it is a plant, there is no patent or proprietary use for stevia. It is sold as a dietary supplement and is under a lot of fire in many countries because of concerns around safety. The rebuttal is that there are billions of dollars at stake so the only danger is to the company bottom line. One real drawback with stevia is that it's production and preparation aren't regulated. It can mean that the extract quality can vary a lot from company to company but it is the same with vanilla and many other flavourings so... Find one you like and stick with it.

     All of these products are used as sugar substitutes and that is a bit misleading when you are cooking. They are not sugar and should really be treated like vanilla or cinnamon when you cook. They only provide the sweet taste, none of the other chemical reactions. They are in essence flavourings.

    You can't make jelly or jam set using only stevia or any of the others, they don't cause the gelling reaction with pectin and acid that sugar does. They don't preserve the way sugar does, they don't react with gluten the same way and finally don't provide the volume.

       Does that mean you shouldn't use them? Not at all. Just be aware that incorporating them into your cooking regime might be a little harder than just a simple substitution. For people with diabetes or other dietary problems, these products are a great way to be able to enjoy the sweet taste with out putting your health at risk.

     Do your homework. Every one of the products above is laced with controversy surrounding their safety, there are hundreds of pages devoted to it. Be smart and make informed choices.

     As I mentioned earlier, I do not suffer from any dietary restrictions nor am I counting calories (although I could stand to lose a few pounds), so I have no experience with any of these products.  I must admit I find stevia interesting and am wondering about trying it out in the garden.

     Feel free to leave a comment and share your experiences, good or bad. Thanks for stopping by.

How sweet it is, all about sugar

     In preparation for canning season, I have been doing a little research on various subjects, pectin, food safety and sugar. I wanted to be able to post articles that were informed and informative that would help answer some of the questions that come up when you are starting to make your own home preserves. I had no idea what I was getting into.

     The debate around sugar has been raging for decades. I went out in search of some concrete facts, what I found was a lot of talk with not a lot of substance. As it turns out, everyone has their own agenda and it is very difficult to sort fact from fiction about sugar and it's alternatives. This is what I found out and is no way the definitive answer but hopefully will spark some discussion or make you think about your own sugar consumption.

Sugar in all it's glory

     First a brief explanation of just what sugar is, a carbohydrate. It is naturally occurring in various amounts in all plants and is our source of energy. It falls into two broad categories, mono/single/simple and di/complex saccharides. Examples of mono saccharides include fructose, glucose, galactose and dextrose. Some of the complex are sucrose, a glucose and fructose combined, lactose, a combination of galactose and glucose and maltose which is a double glucose ( and you use it to make beer, Hurray). Here's the thing, most plants contain both kinds, simple and complex. So where does that take us?

     We'll start with sucrose or common table sugar. It is referred to as refined sugar, bleached white, crystallized and sweet. The body breaks it down into its component glucose and fructose and goes to work. Insulin metabolizes glucose and it can be used by any cells in the body. Only the liver can metabolize fructose.

Sucrose molecule, glucose on the left, fructose on the right

    In and of themselves, neither is particularly good or bad for the body if you are in good health. Here is where the problems arise. During the refining process, sugar is stripped of all of it other minerals and nutrients (impurities). For the body to process it, it needs to draw on stores that are already present. If you over indulge you risk nutrient deficiency in other areas. If you are diabetic or have liver problems, you can't process one or the other properly and that leads to problems, some with severe consequences.

     The vegetarian angle, which I didn't know, is about 25% of the bleaching that occurs in commercial production in done through bone char. Not animal friendly.

     What are your alternatives? Brown or raw sugar? Nope, it is illegal to sell unrefined sugar, I don't know why, so all sugar is processed in some way. Brown sugar is made by re introducing molasses to white/refined sugar in varying amounts. Seems redundant to add it back but it is to maintain consistency of product, consumer driven. It is marginally better for you because the molasses contains some of the nutrients processing stripped out but only marginally.

     Honey, succinat, maple syrup, agave nectar? Healthy? Not necessarily, all are high fructose and too much fructose is as bad as too much sucrose, just in different ways. Here's the kicker, all sugars have the same calorie count. There is no such thing as a "good" sugar.

     No sugar pectin? The first ingredient is dextrose, another name for glucose. There is another type of product that gels with calcium so true no sugar pectin exits. The other normally is marketed as "no sugar added", 'cause it's already in there.

     Where does that leave us? We need sugar of some sort to exist, it is our energy source after all. Is one better than the other? Yes and no. Getting your sugar by eating fruits and vegetables means you are getting other nutrients and fibre as well so is definitely better for you but you can still over indulge. Basically, much like sodium intake, be aware of what you are eating. Everything in moderation.

     There you have it, my much over simplified post on sugar. If you are interested in a more in depth look, click here. It is one of the better articles on sugar that I found.

     Are you sweet enough? Let me know what you think about sugar, how you use it, alternatives etc. Lively debate is always interesting. Take care.

To shake or not to shake, Salt

     Sea , Kosher, pickling and good old iodized,  our most common seasoning, salt.  It has a long history as a preservative and a taste enhancer. There are not a lot of recipes out there that don't call for at least a pinch. So what exactly is this substance we put in so many of our dishes? What does it do? Why all the fuss?

     Salt, sodium chloride, is a naturally occurring mineral and is essential to life as we know it. Found all over the world, it has many tastes and colours that it picks up from different trace minerals. It is a natural part of all our food and water. Salt regulates water content/fluid pressure in the body and sodium is one of the electrolytes that facilitate electrical signaling in our nervous system. Too little is almost as bad as too much. Here's the rub, how much do we need to stay healthy?

     The consensus among most of the world's health agencies is about 1500 mg/day. A teaspoon of salt is about 2,300 mg. The upper limit of consumption before it poses a possible health risk is 2,300. The average Canadian uses about 3,400 mg, more than double what we need and well over the upper limit. This increases the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure and obesity just to name a few.

     Why does salt pose such a problem? Most people consume 75% of their salt/sodium from hidden sources, not the salt shaker. Google sodium based food additives, you'll be amazed just how many there are and where they show up; sodium nitrate, common preservative, sodium bicarbonate, baking soda and baking powder. It is in everything from fruit juice to baked goods.

     What does salt do? It's main function is as a preservative. It extends the shelf life of a product. It accentuates taste, saltiness is one of our basic taste senses. In baking it toughens gluten, providing a better crumb. It also regulates rising in dough, apparently you can't make bread with out it.

     Personally, I've never been a huge fan of salt. It isn't that I don't like the taste (crispy salt skin chicken from Chinatown hmmm), just not all the time in everything. Many recipes and cooks are too heavy handed. If you have read through the recipes, you have noticed I omit/reduce it in most of my cooking. I have sea, Kosher, pickling, iodized and a little bag of some designer stuff Ferd picked up in my cupboard and I use all of them.

    Reading on the subject, there are all kinds of opinions on the use of salt in cooking. Some claim it enhances all the sweet tastes in dessert cooking, I disagree. I have never had anyone miss it in my desserts. They have never noticed a difference if I use it or not. Yes, I occasionally use my friends as guinea pigs.  No one has ever described my "sweets" as bland, flat or oily tasting and trust me, my friends aren't that nice LOL. If they didn't like it. I'd hear about it.

     I have read chocolate isn't the same with out it, huh? I like a little heat with chocolate, some chile pepper but I'll pass on the salt.

       In savoury cooking, I find many people over do it. It's so easy, prepared marinades, salad dressings, soup bases, tomato sauce etc are all heavy on salt. Once it's in there it is next to impossible to get rid of. I use a little because there really is a taste difference between cooking with or adding after but I like to have the option. I'd rather add a bit than scrape that salty feeling off my tongue.

     Where do you weigh in on salt? Are you a shaker? Is your cupboard full of tiny bags of designer multi coloured crystals? Leave a comment and let me know what you think on the subject of salt.

Did you know? Buttermilk

     I'm not sure if anyone but me will find this post interesting but here goes. I was asked about the fat content of buttermilk. They assumed it was butter and milk combined somehow because of the thick texture, therefore they wanted a lower fat alternative. I thought they were kidding.

    I tend to forget not everyone grew up on a farm, the grandson of two dairy farmers. I have lots of food knowledge I never even think of because of experiences as a child. It did get me thinking, how much do we know about the ingredients we cook with? I'll be writing a series of "Did you know ?" posts in the future to explain what things are, how they work or what you can use to substitute. Now back to the buttermilk.

     As any dairy farmer knows, traditional buttermilk is the leftover liquid from churning butter. It is naturally low fat because the fat has been taken out in actual butter. It has a thicker texture because it has started to ferment, much like yogurt. I used the term traditional because to separate milk from cream, it has to sit; the cream rises to the top to be skimmed off. It is during this sitting time the fermentation takes place.

    With the advent of technology, cream separators, there is no sitting time anymore so buttermilk is infused with bacterial cultures to simulate this. It is then left to sit to ferment.

     To make your own buttermilk, well you can churn some butter. I remember making butter as a kid at Grandma Craig's. We did it for fun once to see how it worked. The other alternative is to introduce an acid, like vinegar or lemon juice to low fat milk. This will simulate the fermentation process.

     In the bottom of a 1 cup measuring cup, add one tablespoon of vinegar. Fill to one cup with low fat milk and let sit for about five minutes. Give it a stir and you have your buttermilk substitute. This only simulates the taste and texture of traditional buttermilk and is only as low fat a the milk you start out with. Strangely enough, this is also the recipe to sour milk if you need it for a recipe like Barb's Rhubarb cake but I digress.

     If there are things you have questions about, let me know and I'll add it to the list of "Did you know?"s.

     Take care, Paul