MAKING SOUR CREAM AT HOME.-

HOW TO MAKE SOUR CREAM AT HOME.-  Did you ever think you could make your own Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, Crema Mexicana, Creme Fraiche, Yogurt or other dairy item at home and that it would be quick and easy? Well you can, plus it comes in handy in case you run out or find that the market doesn't carry it or you can't find it which is what happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I went to a big supermarket in the North of Merida, Yucatan... I was only looking for some Sour Cream and I found some yet once we tried it we found that it did not taste the way we were expecting. Ok, no big deal, next time I will choose another brand and pay attention, right? Well, no other brand so ugh!

At this point I remembered making Sour Cream and prepared Cream Cheeses for a catering business I had in Northern California, so why not do this again? This is how I came upon my new project. Now I make Buttermilk all the time (don't you love Buttermilk Biscuits and Buttermilk Pancakes? We do!) and I don't always buy it at the store, instead I take some milk, whatever quantity I will need and add a tablespoon of white vinegar, stir and let it rest for 5-10 minutes and TA DA!!! Buttermilk! OK, might not be "the real thing" but for cooking or baking it is great, gives you the properties you need and tastes like the real thing, so I classify this as success. YAY!

From this point I became braver and started experimenting with all kinds of homemade items until now I can make pretty much anything which my kids can attest to, from mayo to mustard to ketchup, all kinds of sauces, dressings, salsas, creams, etc. You then realize there's nothing you can't do so you do, pretty great! Can't remember the last time I bought a Salad Dressing....

So here comes the no Sour Cream at the fancy store, and it is a fancy store with all kinds of imported and exotic foods but NO Sour Cream. The reason for the Sour Cream is that we did get Caviar and what goes better with Caviar? Sour Cream of course! We love it! Some cocktails, crackers, fish and Caviar.... Anyway, here's what you'll need to make Sour Cream:

1 cup Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup Milk, at room temperature
2-4 Tbl Lemon Juice or White Vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp Salt
1 Mason Jar or other glass receptacle (check out my fancy old jar)

Note: First time I made this I used 3 Tbl of Lemon Juice and while it was nice it was more like Creme Fraiche which has a milder flavor. We wanted real Sour Cream so 3-4 Tbl of White Vinegar for us.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the milk into the jar and add lemon juice or vinegar. Put the lid on and shake well to combine. Remove the lid and add the heavy cream. Put the lid back on and once more give it a good shake to mix it well. Remove the lid but use a kitchen towel, paper towel or a small plate to use as a cover, you want it covered but you also want it to breathe.

Let the jar sit in a warm place for at least 18 hours and up to a total of 24 hours. I leave mine out on the kitchen counter since it's pretty hot here. After the 24 hours you should have a thick and rich Sour Cream. Taste it to see if it needs some salt, I like to put just a little salt in it and gently mix. (I would add a little, mix and taste since you can always put more in but not take any out, this way you'll find just the right level of salt for you. I'm not a salty person at all but I find that about 1/4 tsp of salt adds to the flavor of the cream.
If the milk separates a little on the bottom while resting don't worry, this is normal, just mix it back up.
The thickest cream will be on the top but I like to stir it with a spoon, bring it all together. At this time use the lid to the jar and place it in the fridge to chill, your Sour Cream is ready to be enjoyed. The Sour Cream will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks refrigerated.

Really rich, thick Sour Cream!

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Follow up: I use quite a few types of vinegar, like Mirin, White Wine and Red Wine Vinegar, Tarragon, Pineapple too, think I'll try to experiment with some of these to see if they will add something to the sour cream project. I'll update on my results as we go along.