How is clabber used in cooking and baking?
Clabber, thick soured milk, is acidic enough to react with baking soda, like buttermilk. It can also be made into cottage cheese and is the base of Creole cream cheese. True clabber needs raw milk, so most home cooks use buttermilk, or milk with lemon juice or vinegar.
Free download
Milk and Dairy Storage Chart (PDF): How long milk, plant milks, cream, yogurt and kefir last, opened and unopened. 23 rows, each with its source.
Thank you
Your chart is ready
We use your email only for this download.Also free:
Home Bar Storage Chart (PDF)Juice, Soda and Water Storage Chart (PDF)Coffee, Tea and Hot Drinks Storage Chart (PDF)Drink Strength, Calories and Units Cheat Sheet (PDF)Want the full pack? About 10 printable sheets: a larger chart for each drink type, a “has it gone off?” checklist, date labels, a party planner and an inventory sheet.
In this article
What is clabber?
Clabber is milk that has soured and thickened. It forms when fresh unpasteurized milk is left out and bacteria turn lactose into lactic acid. It is thickened, slightly sour and tangy. Pasteurized milk does not clabber this way; it just turns rank.
How is clabber used in baking?
It is acidic enough to react with baking soda for leavening, just as buttermilk does. In practice, it fits where a recipe calls for buttermilk or sour milk:
- Pancakes and waffles
- Muffins, quick breads and biscuits
- Cakes
As general guidance, not a tested ratio, try swapping it one for one for buttermilk. Because clabber is thick, stir it smooth and thin it with a little milk if the batter is stiff. Keep the baking soda the recipe lists.
Other uses
- It can be made into cottage cheese.
- It is the base for Creole cream cheese.
- It can be fed to pigs.
What can you use instead of clabber?
For most cooking, a modern substitute is easier and safer:
| Option | How |
|---|---|
| Milk plus acid | 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar in 1 cup of milk or soymilk, as one cooking reference suggests |
| Buttermilk | Use as the recipe says |
| Plain yogurt thinned with milk | Stir until pourable (general guidance) |
Safety
The FDA says raw milk can carry Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Campylobacter. It lists people with weakened immune systems, children, older adults and pregnant women as higher-risk groups. If you are unsure, use pasteurized milk with lemon juice or vinegar instead, as the cooking reference above suggests.
Do not use milk that has gone rank, smells rotten or has mold. See also the health benefits and risks of clabber.
People also ask
Can I use clabber instead of buttermilk?
Generally yes. Its acid reacts with baking soda like buttermilk does. Thin it if the batter is too thick. This is general guidance, not a tested ratio.
What is a quick substitute for clabber?
Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk or soymilk, as one cooking reference suggests, and use it in the recipe.
Can I make clabber from store-bought milk?
Pasteurized milk does not clabber; it turns rank instead. Use a milk-and-acid mix or buttermilk.
Sources
About · How we verify this · Editorial policy · Corrections
What would help you most next?
One tap. Anonymous. It helps us decide what to build.
Thank you. The free charts above are yours to keep.
