Mondo Knows Facts
Cultured butter is fermented before churning
Lactic acid bacteria add a tang and diacetyl adds a buttery aroma
In cultured butter, cream is ripened with lactic acid bacteria before being churned, which lowers the pH and produces diacetyl, the compound behind a strong buttery smell. Sweet cream butter skips that step, so it tastes cleaner and milder. European butters also tend to carry more butterfat and less water.
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Tags: butter, fermentation, dairy
Cultured butter is fermented before churning: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Lactic acid bacteria add a tang and diacetyl adds a buttery aroma. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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