Several years ago, I wrote a lengthy post on making fermented sour cream and it has been one of the most popular articles on my blog. I cannot remember the last time I bought sour cream; it so easy and satisfying to make. Although the fermentation process for sour cream takes a few days, kitchen time is minimal. If you like the idea of making your own tangy sour cream that's sure to please and is a really fun conversation starter, read on.
I see a lot of blog posts about making quick sour cream, and that might do in a pinch. But let me be clear, there is a difference between sour cream and acidified sour cream. Acidified sour cream is made with the addition of an acid (typically vinegar or lemon juice) whereas sour cream is a cultured product made with cream and lactic acid-producing bacteria. Commercial sour cream is typically the latter.
Fermented Sour Cream
Yield: 1 pint
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 2-3 days for fermentation
Equipment: Kitchen thermometer, pint canning jar with lid
1 pint whipping or heavy cream
Sour cream starter (from cheese making supply source or previous batch)
First things first, what about that sour cream starter? To begin a reliable fermentation process with the correct bacteria, use a starter. My grandmother would have left cream from the family farm's dairy cows and probably would have added some sour cream from the prevous batch. But what do you do, if you don't already have a batch with live cultures? My go-to source for starter is New England Cheesemaking Supply Company in Deerfield, Mass. I have made sour cream reliably with Ricki's Sour Cream (Item #C30) starter, available through the company's online store. I keep the starter in my freezer, per the package directions. Over the past few years, I have produced only one bad batch of sour cream, and I am reasonably certain the starter was not at fault, but rather an edgy carton of cream that had a little too much funky unwanted bacteria.
Rather than use a packet of Ricki's starter each time I make a new batch, I usually use about 1 tablespoon of sour cream from a previous batch as a starter. But in the event my family gobbles the last of the sour cream, I usually have one or two packets of starter in the freezer. A few days ago I started a new batch with a tablespoon of sour cream from the previous batch.
To start the batch, heat the cream to 86 °F, per Ricki's starter package directions. To bring the cream to the right temperature, I microwave it in 10 second increments, checking the temperature after each heating cycle with electronic kitchen thermometer. If it overheats, just let the cream sit until the temperature drops to 86 °F.
Using a whisk, mix together the starter (packet or 1 tablespoon sour cream from previous batch) and the heated cream. Cover with a lid and leave at room temperature 24 hours.
Let's check in 24 hours later...
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After day at room temperature and two days in my refrigerator, this batch of sour cream is ready. It's cream, thick and tangy, ready to dollop on burritos, huevos rancheros, potato latkes, soups and stews. One of my favorite meals is Chile Verde Stew topped with sour cream.
