DIY sour cream (technically creme fraiche) ;)

(Mediterranean Magic! Show me yer...) #1

Edit per advice of @roxanne below - which is great, because creme fraiche is even more spendy than sour cream.

Sometimes you buy more HWC than you use before it expires. I know… hard to believe. BUTT!

This is a great opportunity to save money! Fresh cream or over the expiration date, it don’t matter. For the first batch you’ll want to have a small container of buttermilk on hand. After that you can make a new batch using some of the old batch.

I use 3 T buttermilk (or sour cream from last batch) for every 2 pints of HWC. You don’t have to get this perfect. If you use more HWC it might take an extra day to get firm. No big deal.

Mix together in a nice wide mouth jar (easier to spoon from). I stir with a chopstick - dont use metal. I don’t know why - hippie.

Cover with cheesecloth, a clean kitchen towel, and rubber band the top.

Set on counter or on top of fridge, away from direct sun. Depending on time of year/warmth of room, it will culture to firm in one to the days. It’s ready when a gentle shake reveals no jiggle.

Put the lid on it and refrigerate.

To keep things extra clean, I tend to pull out about 3 T right away and store in another clean glass jar, as the starter for the next batch. I’ve always got a jar or two around. Because sour cream. Or creme fraiche. Big hair don’t care, spoon that shit liberally on top of everything! :wink:

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(Roxanne) #2

Technically, this is actually “creme fraiche”, a little less tangy than sour creme and and excellent “dessert”. I eat it plain like super high fat Greek yogurt, or with a few berries and a dusting of 85% chocolate shavings. :slight_smile:

I used to make it in my Instant Pot on the yogurt setting but found the results too variable. As I keep my house quite cool in the winter, I’ve taken to using my Anova Sous Vide gizmo to keep it in a water bath set at 77 F. Even then, results can vary - I was doing two mason jars with same ingredients at the same time, and one took 24 hours and the other more like 36.

(Arlene) #3

I make creme fresh all the time too, but I don’t bother with cheese cloth. I just put it in a wide mouth jar and cover it with a plastic lid. It’s a great substitute for sour cream, because it’s essentially soured cream.

(Roxanne) #4

Yes, @MableSyrup is right, creme fraiche is even more spendy than sour creme, ridiculously so ($5 to $6 for two tiny 125 ml pots!) which is why I investigated making my own in the first place. Based on what I read, you’ll get a more “sour” creme if you culture using sour cream as as the starter, but I haven’t tried it myself. I’m glad to hear that you have been successful culturing with some from your last batch - I haven’t actually tried that yet and I foolishly keep buying cartons of buttermilk as starters and then end up throwing most of the carton away because it’s too carby to drink straight! Next time I’ll try it your way!

(Mediterranean Magic! Show me yer...) #5

That buttermilk is also pretty tasty as a moistener for keto pancake dough or cheddar biscuits. Or use for homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing! Extend everything lol.

#6

I’m inspired. Me thinks I’m making creme fraiche /sour cream /whatchamacallit today! Will report back hopefully with picture of a nice final product! Thanks for posting!

(Mediterranean Magic! Show me yer...) #7

It takes a day or more to firm up, but you can hasten the process in a gently warmed oven.

#8

Ooooooooo…good tip! I will do that!

(Roxanne) #9

It also thickens up after it goes in the fridge. I aim to achieve light mixed yogurt texture when culturing it, then in turns very thick once refrigerated.

#10

Hey, just wanted to thank you for this. I made the creme. Here’s how I did it.

Hot water bath in tap water (warm almost hot water). Placed in oven overnight. I turned oven on for 15 minutes just to get it warm inside, then turned it off and the creme sat in the residual heat overnight. I used recycled jars, and put a towel underneath jars to protect them from touching hot metal

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The next day I took jars out of water bath, and placed them in a cupboard to block out light, and in coldest part of the kitchen. This is the creme it formed, with nice sour taste

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Then I placed them in the fridge, and the creme got nice and thick

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Thank you for the inspiration. Never going to buy sour cream or creme fraiche again. This is much tastier and saves money, too. And without any mystery ingredients.

(Mediterranean Magic! Show me yer...) #11

Wahoo! Glad you enjoyed :slight_smile:

(Roxanne) #12

Excellent!

(Donna Sulz) #13

I make it with plain yogurt as the starter. Turn the light on in the (unused) oven and place the jar in the vicinity of the light. Sometimes some liquid separates and goes to the bottom - but I look at this as just having taken a bit more lactose out of the cream. Time to set varies.
A spoonful of this on top of scrambled eggs or taco meat = yum. Whoever suggested it a dessert - whoo, thanks!

(Genevieve Biggs) #14

So yogurt with live cultures works as a starter? I don’t have a current batch of yogurt going, but I have a few brands I depend on for an active culture.

(Roxanne) #15

I’ve actually modified my method and now achieve consistent results every time! Before it was hit and miss :slight_smile:

I now use my Anova Sous Vide to maintain a constant 79.5 F water bath. I combine 1.5 litres of HWC with about 100 ml of creme fraiche from my last batch, then divide between 2 1-litre mason jars. I culture in the water bath overnight, 10 to 12 hours. In the morning it is thick and creamy. I give it a quick stir, then pour about 80 to 100 ml into individual servings in 125 ml mason jars. It firms up after refrigeration. Excellent to pack for lunches, and enough room to add some berries on top if you wish.

(Sophie) #16

I buy the smallest container of buttermilk with active cultures that I can find and pour that into an ice cube tray and freeze. Remove the cubes to a baggie and use them as needed. Saves money that way. :+1: Plunk a cube or two into your HWC, give it a stir once it has melted and leave it alone for at least a day. Easy.

(Jane Reed) #17

Now that my area is getting really hot weather, it is warm enough in the house to culture my creme fraiche on the counter for 24 hours. Previously, I wrapped my jar in an electric heating pad.

I started culturing with commercial sour cream as a starter. Worked fine. Recently I purchased a small tub of real creme fraiche to see if the flavor if the end product would be more mild, and I found it not the case.

(Roxanne) #18

I would have thought that the freezing killed the cultures…good to know!

(Sophie) #19

A few of the cultures do die off of course, but there are billions and they just go dormant.

#20

I’m sure yours is MUCH MUCH better but I make a quick and dirty sour cream by adding lemon juice to cream and beating the crap of it with a fork for a minute or two.