How to Make Sour Cream

Sour cream is that delicious goodness that you can dollop on baked potatoes, in soups, on tacos and burritos, bake in cakes, and the opportunities are endless. It can be flavored, it can be low-fat or really fat; sour cream is versatile and yummy. Now you can make your own sour cream at home.

Lately, I have developed an interest in home cheesemaking, but I am way too intimidated to jump right into it. So, now I am starting with baby steps. The first baby step on the road to cheesemaking is sour cream, the easiest dairy product you can make at home. Making sour cream at home will help alleviate your fears that letting milk sit out on your counter and then later consuming it will make you turn purple, bloat, and die a hideous death. Then, once you eat it and live, you can muster the will and the courage to try more challenging dairy products.

All you need to make sour cream is some buttermilk, cream, and a clean jar with a lid. Put about one cup of cream (whipping cream from the grocery store is fine) in a clean canning jar. Heavy cream will be higher in fat. You can also substitute part of the cream for milk to lessen the fat. Add two to four tablespoons of buttermilk. I used two, but I would add four if the buttermilk wasn't very fresh. I bought my buttermilk from the store and have not tried the old-fashioned kind. I imagine it would be just as good. I have also heard you can use vinegar if you do not have buttermilk, but I have not tried it myself. Finally, shake the closed jar vigorously and set out at room temperature for twelve to twenty-four hours.

That's it! Once it has solidified, label it with the date, and put it in the refrigerator. You can keep it for a week or so. Enjoy on whatever you normally eat sour cream with and feel satisfied that you let that cream go bad all by yourself! Even though homemade sour cream is ridiculously easy, it is fun and provides a feeling of accomplishment. The kids can even do it for a science and home economics lesson all in one! Add spices and flavorings as a dip, or eat it plain as a topping. Enjoy!

Sources:
"Beginning Cheese Making" by David Fankhauser http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese_course/Cheese_course.htm

"Sour Cream" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_cream

"Super Easy Homemade Cream Cheese and Sour Cream" by Deanna Duke http://www.motherearthnews.com/Relish/How-To-Make-Sour-Cream-And-Cream-Cheese-Recipes.aspx