Can You Freeze Leftover Buttermilk?

Buttermilk fried chicken. Buttermilk biscuits. Buttermilk pancakes. There's no shortage of recipes that benefit from a hefty dose of buttermilk, but it can be tough to use up a full container of the stuff before it goes bad. Many of us find that we purchase a container of buttermilk for a recipe, use the scant cup to add some tang, then end up tossing the rest a week or two later when we realize we won't be able to use it before it goes bad. Thankfully, your leftover buttermilk doesn't have to go to waste — you can actually freeze for future use.

The process for freezing buttermilk is the same whether you're freezing what you have left from a store-bought container, you're saving some that you've made yourself as a byproduct of homemade butter, or you're storing buttermilk you made yourself by combining whole milk and lemon juice. You can pour the buttermilk you'd like to freeze into a Ziploc bag, seal, then lay the bag flat in the freezer so that it takes up less storage space. You can also freeze buttermilk in ice cube trays (transfer the cubes to a Ziploc bag once they're frozen), or in small, airtight containers. You can store your frozen buttermilk for up to three months — simply take it out of the fridge for a bit to thaw out before you whip up your favorite buttermilk-containing recipe. An important note: It's totally fine if your buttermilk separates a bit during the freezing or thawing process, and it shouldn't affect the taste.

Now that you have ready-to-go buttermilk on hand, it's easier to incorporate the tangy liquid into recipes. Buttermilk can be especially delicious when added to breakfast recipes — it's hard to beat the combination of warm sausage gravy poured over flaky buttermilk biscuits. If you're in the mood for a sweet breakfast instead of something savory, buttermilk pancakes offer a fluffy, soft canvas for a wide variety of toppings, like Ree Drummond's simple strawberry sauce.

While buttermilk is known for its role in the most important meal of the day, it's also a valuable addition to lunch and dinner options. The acidity of buttermilk makes it a fantastic meat tenderizer — chicken, steak, and pork can all benefit from a buttermilk bath prior to cooking. You can also add a little bit of buttermilk to the flour you use to dredge chicken or chicken-fried steak before dipping it in egg and breading — it'll create tangy, crunchy bites that will add a delightful textural element to your dish. Buttermilk is also a key component of homemade ranch dressing — mix it up with some mayo, sour cream, salt, and other seasonings, and you'll have a quick and easy restaurant-quality dressing or dip.