Powdered whey is a pasteurized and dehydrated version of milk.
Powdered buttermilk can be used in place of liquid buttermilk in any recipe that calls for buttermilk. The powdered version of buttermilk has a longer shelf life than fresh buttermilk, so a cook can store it in their refrigerator without worrying about spoilage. It is a pasteurized and dehydrated version of milk. While powdered whey can be used in recipes with little or no difference in taste, it generally doesn’t taste very good if a person decides to reconstitute it with water and drink it neat.
Powdered whey tends to taste a bit odd when reconstituted and drunk neat.
A cook can use dry buttermilk in a recipe that simply calls for buttermilk by swapping the buttermilk for water and adding a quarter cup (57 g) of dry buttermilk to each cup (237 ml) of water. . For example, if the recipe calls for ½ cup (125 ml) of buttermilk, a cook could use ½ cup (125 ml) of water and 2 tablespoons (28 g) of powdered buttermilk. Using powdered buttermilk instead of liquid buttermilk does not change the consistency or texture of the baked good or noticeably affect the flavor.
Powdered whey is produced in factories by pasteurizing whey and then evaporating the liquid from the milk. The evaporation process concentrates the whey. After the liquid evaporates, the remaining buttermilk is dried to a powder using a roller or spray dryer.
Although powdered buttermilk should be stored in the refrigerator after opening for a longer shelf life, it is often sold in paper jars in the baked goods aisle of a grocery store. A person will generally find it close to regular milk powder and evaporated and condensed milks. It is usually sold in 12 oz (340 g) or 1 pound (454 g) packages. In some cases, a person can find it in the bulk section of a supermarket, allowing them to buy only the amount of powder they need.
Liquid buttermilk was traditionally the liquid left over after making butter. Modern liquid buttermilk is usually cultured skim milk, which means bacteria are added to it for flavor and thickness. Normally, whey powder is not grown, but is made in the traditional way and then dried. In this way, powdered whey can be more authentic than the liquid whey that is available in stores.