Butter Milk

Buttermilk is an important by-product of creamery involved in butter production.There are three types of buttermilk produced in the country. These are:

i) Sweet cream buttermilk: It is obtained by churning of fresh/pasteurized cream with slight or no developed acidity.

ii) Sour cream buttermilk: It is obtained by churning of naturally sour milk or cream.

iii) Desi buttermilk: It is obtained by churning of Dahi for the manufacture of Makkhan.The chemical composition of buttermilk varies widely and depends on the amount of water added to cream for standardization. Addition of water decreases the total solids content of the resulting buttermilk. The chemical composition of buttermilk is given in Table

Chemical composition of buttermilk

The titratable acidity of sour cream buttermilk varies in the range of 0.15- 1.0% whereas that of sweet cream buttermilk varies in the range of 0.10- 0.14%. Desi butter milk, on an average contains only 4% total solids comprising 0.8% fat, 1.30% protein and remaining carbohydrates with an acidity of 1.2% L.A. Also, the colour may be brown due to prolonged heating of milk.

Sweet cream buttermilk may be used for standardization of milk, production of cultured buttermilk, lassi and in some of the Indian dairy products, like, khoa,kheer, etc. Sour buttermilk is not suitable for human consumption. Buttermilk from desi butter is used as a home-made refreshing beverage by the addition of some spices, like, cumin, coriander leaves, etc., or as such. It is also used for the preparation of some Indian culinary dishes such as Kadhi.

 

Fat Losses in Buttermilk

Although attempt is always made to recover total fat of cream in butter but some of the butterfat always goes in the buttermilk. Therefore, one should be aware of the factors, which influence the fat loss during churning. These factors include the following:

i) Fat per cent of cream: Although the fat per cent in butter milk resulting after churning of low fat cream is low, the total fat loss is more. This is because the quantity of buttermilk produced is more.

ii) Size of fat globules: Smaller size fat globules in cream are lost in buttermilk.Hence, increase the loss of fat in buttermilk.

iii) Physical condition of fat: Softer the fat at churning higher is the fat loss in buttermilk.

iv) Ageing of cream: Insufficient cooling and ageing result in less proportion of hard fat and cause higher loss of fat.

v) Condition of churning: Over-loading or under-loading or incomplete churning of cream causes more fat losses