Pronunciation: [klˈabəɹɪŋ] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "clabbering" can be confusing as it contains a silent "b". The IPA phonetic transcription of the word can help with understanding its pronunciation and spelling. The word is pronounced /ˈklæbərɪŋ/, with the emphasis on the first syllable. The "b" is silent, and the ending "-ing" is pronounced as /-ɪŋ/. "Clabbering" refers to the process of curdling milk, often used in the production of cheese.
Clabbering refers to a process in food preservation and fermentation that involves the thickening or curdling of milk or cream, typically due to the action of bacteria, especially lactic acid bacteria. It is a natural transformation that occurs when certain microorganisms in milk start converting lactose (a sugar present in milk) into lactic acid, which causes the milk to curdle or thicken.
The clabbering process is often used in traditional food preparation techniques around the world to create various dairy products such as clabbered milk, clabbered cream, or clabbered cheese. The resulting thickened or curdled product has a sour, tangy flavor that is highly regarded in certain culinary traditions.
The clabbering process can occur spontaneously or can be initiated by adding a starter culture containing specific strains of bacteria that facilitate the fermentation. Temperature and time also play crucial roles in clabbering, as the reaction is highly dependent on the conditions in which the milk is kept.
Clabbering can also refer to the act of stirring or agitating a liquid or mixture vigorously to incorporate air or create a foam. This technique is commonly used in bartending to prepare cocktails with a frothy texture, such as clabbered whiskey sours or clabbered egg whites.
Overall, clabbering is a natural fermentation process that transforms milk or cream into a thickened or curdled product, typically with a sour taste, and can also imply the vigorous mixing of a liquid to create a foam-like consistency.
The word "clabbering" comes from the Middle English word "claberen", which means to curdle or clot. It is derived from the Old English word "clæferian", which also means to curdle or thicken. The term "clabbering" refers to the process of curdling milk, particularly through bacterial fermentation, resulting in a thickened or curdled consistency.
