Think about the last time you used buttermilk—maybe in last weekend’s pancakes or a recent Fried Chicken Friday. You probably used a cup or two and then eventually dumped the rest down the drain. Super wasteful and the opposite of thrifty—but it doesn’t have to be.
Instead of watching your money float away the next time you’re stuck with extra buttermilk that you know you’re not going to use before it expires, why not freeze it instead? Read on for our tips on how to pull it off successfully.
Before we get into the actual freezing, we’ve figured out a genius way to avoid trying to figure out how to measure frozen buttermilk—future you will thank us. Grab an ice-cube tray, pour a tablespoon of buttermilk into each compartment and then place the tray in the freezer. When the buttermilk is frozen solid, pop out the cubes and put them in a plastic freezer bag to keep the burn at bay. Write the date on the bag and stick it in the freezer. Your frozen buttermilk will be good to use for about three months.
Bringing your buttermilk back to its liquid state is a breeze. If you're super type A and know a day ahead of time that you’re going to need it, take out the number of tablespoons your recipe calls for, put them in another bag and thaw in the fridge overnight. If you need the buttermilk in a pinch (no shame, procrastinators), nuke the cubes in the microwave in ten-second increments. You can also heat them on the stove over low heat in a small saucepan, stirring continuously.
One note: When buttermilk is frozen and then thawed, it tends to separate and lose a bit of its former creaminess. But don’t worry! Either pour the thawed liquid into a blender or whisk it vigorously before using.