Clabber
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "clabber" or "clabbered milk" means milk that has naturally soured and thickened - like a tangy, old-timey yogurt. It was once a staple food before refrigeration.
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synonyms: soured milk, thickened milk, country yogurt
Hillbilly Dude Says...
We've alwasy called it 'clabbered milk' - and still do. It's common out in the country. Pronunciation
[KLAB-er] /ˈklæb.ər/
Meaning & Usage
- Naturally soured, thickened milk (noun)
Hazel:
What’s in the crock?
What’s in the crock?
Earl:
That’s clabbered milk - Granny eats it with molasses.
That’s clabbered milk - Granny eats it with molasses.variations: clabbered milk, clabber milk
★ Don’t confuse clabber with blinked milk. Clabber was prized for cooking and eating, while blinked milk was spoiled and thrown out. ★
Origin
The word comes from Scots-Irish dialect, carried into the American South and Appalachia by early settlers. Documented in U.S. farm and cookery writing by the 19th century, clabber was a household staple before refrigeration. Soured milk would "clabber" overnight, creating a tangy, spoonable food used at breakfast or in baking.
Notes
- Common in Appalachian and Southern farm kitchens until refrigeration made fresh milk more accessible.
- Eaten with molasses, sugar, or fruit; also used in biscuits, cornbread, and cakes.
- Different from "blinked milk": clabber was safe and usable, blinked was spoiled.
- Modern buttermilk is often used in recipes where clabber once was.