From Peggy Trowbridge Filippone,
Your Guide to Home Cooking.
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What is buttermilk? Does buttermilk contain butter?

A. Many folks labor under the misconception that buttermilk is basically a buttery, high-fat milk. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

You might be surprised to learn there is no butter, per se, in buttermilk, and it is lower in fat than sweet milk. Old-fashioned homemade buttermilk is the slightly sour, residual liquid which remains after butter is churned, ie. milk from the butter or buttermilk. It was usually flecked with tiny spots of sweet, creamy butter that didn't quite make it to the top to be skimmed. The flavor of buttermilk is reminiscent of yogurt and most people prefer it well-chilled. You'll find it is slightly thicker in texture than regular milk but not as heavy as cream. It takes one gallon of milk to yield one-half pint of true buttermilk.

Nowadays, most commercial buttermilk is made by adding a lactic acid bacteria culture to pasteurized sweet whole milk or, more commonly skim milk or non-fat milk, and it may or may not have added butter flecks. After the addition of the culture, the milk is left to ferment for 12 to 14 hours at a low temperature (optimum 69 degrees F.). It is usually labeled cultured buttermilk and may be salted or unsalted. Most commercial varieties are salted, so check the label if you are on a sodium-restricted diet.

More about Buttermilk:

• What is buttermilk? Does it contain butter? FAQ
• Buttermilk Cooking Tips & Hints
• Buttermilk Storage
• Buttermilk Substitutions, Measures, & Equivalents
• Buttermilk History
• Buttermilk Lore and Legends
• Buttermilk Health Benefits
• Buttermilk Recipes