Homemade Sour Cream Recipe
All dairy products where I live are expensive, so I was thrilled when I figured out that I can make my own Sour Cream (also known as "Cultured Cream"). I use this in Beef Stroganoff, New York-style Cheesecake, and for other recipes. You can use it to top your tacos or baked potatoes, make onion dip for your chips, and in a multitude of other decadent and delicious recipes.
This tastes better than commercial Sour Cream. It is also about 1/3 the cost of the store-bought product!
Before You Begin
All you need to make this is a clean jar and three ingredients.
Ingredients
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) Whole Milk at room temperature.
- 10 ml (2 tsp) Lemon Juice. The first time I tried this I used 1 tbsp of Lemon Juice. However, I could taste the lemon in the result. It isn't bad, but sour in the wrong way, so 2 tsp is better.
- 240 ml (1 cup) Heavy Cream (about 35% fat) at room temperature. Cream in Japan is often sold in 200ml containers; that size is close enough.
Preparation
- Bring the Cream and Milk to room temperature. Temperatures from 20 to 30°C (68 to 86°F) are fine, but around 22°C (72°F) is best.
- Combine the Milk and Lemon Juice in a jar or other sealable container, close it, and shake vigorously.
- Let the Milk and Lemon Juice stand for about 10 minutes. The acidic Lemon Juice causes the casein protein in the milk to denature, forming clumps known as "curd" that will add texture to the liquid.
- Add the Cream to the Milk and Lemon Juice, close it and once again shake vigorously.
- Replace the container cover with a cheesecloth, towel, or paper cover so the mixture can breathe. Why you need to allow this to breathe is a mystery to me because Lactococcus lactis bacteria is anerobic. I did find a small hint that there are oxygen reduction reactions occuring, so I presume that's why you need to let it breathe.
- Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 12 to 48 hours where it will ferment. Fermentation is faster at a higher temperature, but typically expect 15 to 18 hours unless the room is very cold. The naturally occuring Lactococcus lactis bacteria in the milk converts lactose sugar into lactic acid, thus creating that sour flavor. Commercial Sour Cream is usually produced using laboratory-supplied bacteria to speed up the process, and probably also contains a thickening agent.
- Replace the cloth cover with a proper cap, and chill the Sour Cream for at least three hours before using. The Sour Cream will thicken more when it is chilled.
Storage
Store chilled in a sealed container for up to two weeks.
Summary
I've been experimenting with using richer cream along with more milk, and so far the results are good. My fat content is still 25 to 28% compared to 20% for store-bought sour cream. Here's my spreadsheet showing how I used different kinds of cream and more milk to get more volume at a slightly lower cost.
Interesting facts:
- Cream contains almost no casein protein, and almost no lactose sugar. These components come from the milk.
- Lactococcus bacteria is thermoduric, meaning it survives the pasteurization process. Don't worry, this is a "good" bacteria that's necessary to digest milk. But remember to keep your milk in the refrigerator so it won't spoil!
Nutrition
| Calories | 854 calories |
| Total Fat | 89 g |
| Sodium | 91 mg |