Do you like buttermilk? Me either, but my child sure does.
But first, a milk rant. If you follow me on IG, you’ll know about my milk predicament. I never know what the best option is when considering plastic-free packaging, organic, local, ethical practices, as well as environmental factors in the agricultural sector. How do we make the best choice? Sustainable Anna recently posted an infographic that compares various types of milk/mylk to show their impacts on the environment, including land and water use, and emissions. All of these factors just leave me scratching my head. The new Canadian Food Guide has removed dairy as a dietary requirement, because we know now that there are better protein and calcium sources than dairy.
So, this is what I did. Packaging is important to me, so a plastic jug is out of the question. Organic and local is important to me, so I chose Kootenay Meadows milk, which is made in Creston. I know the family and the farm, and I feel good about that. They also take back their glass bottles to reuse. The only downside is that the lid is plastic, and will eventually end up in landfill. Because of the emissions of dairy farms, I limit our (my child and my) milk intake. We eat yogurt less than once a month. We use milk more as an ingredient, so hardly ever do we drink a glass of milk as a beverage. And then there’s the whole… my-child-loves-buttermilk thing.
Turns out… it’s incredibly easy to make, and I can make it in small batches. All I did was visit my zero-waste culinary hero’s, Anne-Marie, blog to get my instructions.
I took a glass jar, and poured in about 1/4 cup of cultured buttermilk; this one was store-bought, as I needed buttermilk to make buttermilk (use the 3+%). Then I added my Kootenay Meadows milk, just under 2 cups. Then I placed the lid loosely on top, and put the jar into the oven with the oven-light on (ZW Chef tip: stick an oven-mitt into the door as a reminder that there is fermentation happening and NOT to turn the oven on). Leave the jar in there for about 24 hours, and then refrigerate. My first batch turned out very well. I may make an even smaller batch next time. To do that, I just need to save about 1/4 (or less) cup from this batch to make my next one.
Have you reduced your dairy intake? What were your motivations to do so? What is your favourite dairy replacement?
In love and compost,
Nadine
The Zero Journey 