Posted in Delicious Joy

Buttermilk Pie from Yesteryear

Posted on by Neal Saye

So recently, Robert concocted some fancy-smancy recipe that required buttermilk. He only used a little of the quart container, so frugal that I am, I had to come up with some way to use the rest. “We CANNOT waste $2.19!!!”

And then it hit me… Buttermilk pie! Like my mama and grandma used to make.

According to mycountrytable.com, “Buttermilk Pie is believed to have originated during the depression. This was during a time when some ingredients were either scarce or too expensive, leaving home cooks to make do with whatever they had in their pantry. Home cooks found a way to make a pie with few ingredients out of desperation, hence the name, desperation pies.”

“Several pies originated during the depression out of pure necessity. These pies were all classified as desperation, depression, or make-do pies. Some of them include Buttermilk, Vinegar, Shoofly, Chess, Sugar Cream, Oatmeal, Mock Apple, Mock Mincemeat, Green Tomato, and even Water Pie.”

So, what is buttermilk?

“Traditional buttermilk is a thin, cloudy, slightly tart but buttery-tasting liquid that’s left after cream is churned to make butter. These days, however, it is more commonly sold as a thick liquid produced commercially by adding an acidifying bacteria – and sometimes flavouring and thickening agents – to milk.” bbcgoodfood.com

I went to work.

Not having the patience or the intelligence to actually make a homemade crust, I ran to the grocery store and bought a deep dish frozen piecrust.

Put all the ingredients together (in five minutes!) and voilà!

It was a nostalgically delicious taste of past family culinary lore.

And Robert had never had buttermilk pie before. So it was extra special.

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15 thoughts on “Buttermilk Pie from Yesteryear”

    1. it’s SO easy. One 9” deep dish pastry crust, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp self-rising flour, 3 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat butter and sugar till creamy. Add flour and eggs. Beat till smooth. Add buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla. Mux well. Pour into pastry crust. Place pan on cookie sheet. 350 oven. 50-55 minutes or toll lightly browned on top and mostly set. 

      i like it best served at room temperature. 

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  3. Even better would be 1 cup of whatever lukewarm milk you drink with 1 table spoon of either fresh lemon juice or white vinegar set for 10 min you git homemade $2.19 saved Buttermilk

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