How to Make Sour Cream (Bold Baking Basics)
Save RecipeLearn How to Make Sour Cream at home with this sour cream recipe and then use it to make your baking even better — or enjoy on its own.
Hi Bold Bakers!
One of my oldest and most used Bold Baking Basic recipes is Sour Cream! Knowing how to make sour cream is key for both your sweet and savory cooking and baking.
From topping tacos and chili to adding onto your scones and rich chocolate cakes, I use sour cream all the time. I always have some of my easy Homemade Sour Cream in the fridge, so using this simple method means that you too can have your own fresh sour cream on hand. Let me tell you, too: Bold Bakers have been asking me about Homemade Sour Cream for quite some time. Whether it’s because it’s unavailable in your region, or maybe you’re looking for an inexpensive way to get it, here it is! And it’s so simple. You will be happy to know you just need 3 ingredients and a jar, that’s it.
How to Make Sour Cream
Before I tried this recipe, I actually had no idea how sour cream was made. Well, it turns out the name say’s it all because it’s literally preserved soured cream. Unlike other homemade dairy products, this method for sour cream requires no cooking at all and very little effort. To make my homemade sour cream all you need is a nice clean jar, milk, cream, and fresh lemon juice. Oh, and a little bit of time, because you have to leave it covered on the counter top overnight. Make sure to use a breathable cloth (no lids or plastic wrap), as your sour cream will have a more fragrant flavor with exposure to the air. And that’s it!
After combining all of the ingredients they will do the work for you. The acid in the lemon reacts with the cream, similar to making my Homemade Buttermilk. After a night on the counter, I give the mix a good stir, and BAM, Homemade Sour Cream. The final sour cream is thick, rich, and tangy. There is no difference between this sour cream and the store bought stuff, making it an amazing recipe to have on hand!
Why is My Sour Cream Thin?
The consistency of your Homemade Sour Cream might be slightly looser than something store-bought, but it will provide all the same flavor and moisture to your baking. The reason for this is because there are no artificial thickeners that are always added commercial brands of sour cream.
How to Store Sour Cream
Because there is nothing in the sour cream to preserve it, you will want to store it in an airtight container in your fridge. That said, it will last for a good 2 weeks! This rarely lasts that long for me so sometimes I even double down and make a larger batch.
How to Use Sour Cream in Baking
Dairy is a really important ingredient when it comes to baking. It serves many purposes like replacing eggs, making richer cakes, and because it contains acid it tenderizes the gluten so it yields incredibly soft cakes too. This Sour Cream recipe can be used in the place of buttermilk, or even yogurt. One of my favorite ways to use it in my baking is in my Chocolate Bundt Cake. In this case, my sour cream makes all the difference, adding a very distinct richness and moist texture.
[ If you like making your own ingredients at home you’ll love my recipe for How to Make Yogurt! ]
Make basic ingredients yourself and get more Bold Baking Basics including:
- How to Make Sweetened Condensed Milk
- How to Make Cream Cheese
- How to Make the Creamiest Mascarpone Cheese
And don’t forget to follow Bigger Bolder Baking on Pinterest.com!
Learn How to Make Sour Cream at home and then use it to make your baking even better or enjoy it on its own.
- 1 cup (8oz / 240g) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice (or white vinegar)
- ¼ cup (2oz / 60g) milk
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In a jar, mix the cream and lemon juice (or vinegar) together, then pour in the milk. Screw a lid on tightly and shake well.
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Remove the lid and put a clean piece of kitchen paper over the jar and secure it with a rubber band.
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Leave it on the counter overnight (up to 24 hours) for it to set up.
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After 24 hours it should be quite firm. Give it a stir and cover it with a jar lid. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or so if it lasts that long!
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Note: Because there are no artificial thickeners, your homemade sour cream may be thinner than commercial brands you may be used to. Have no fear, it’s fine. I’ve gotten used to the consistency and like it better since it blends in recipes so well.
Watch the Recipe Video!
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Hi again. So I made the sour cream and it was too liquidez I made it with lemon, left on the counter for 24 hours. I’m thinking that it was around 70 degrees. I make yogurt and I always put it in the oven with the light on. Was I suppose to keep it at 95-100 like yogurt? Because you didn’t mention it but makes sense. Let me know for next time. I mixed in some of my Greek yogurt into it and it firmed up a bit. I also added some apple cider vinegar and it helped a little also. The flavor is great I just want to get the right texture like yours.
Ps thanks for the brownie answer!
Pps. How long is the condensed milk suppose to last in the fridge? I haven’t had time to make the ice cream. Ugh full time job and two kids under 3. I think I made it almost two weeks ago. I tasted it yesterday and it was good but I’m assuming since it’s milk and I get it farm fresh can’t last too long….will hopefully make it tonight.
Hi again Lisette! Your condensed milk will last for 6 months in an air tight container in the fridge.
Gemma 😊
Hi Gemma. It’s been 24 hours and it hasn’t firmed up. Is it because the air conditioner was on and it was 70 degrees? I tried to save it by putting a little apple cider vinegar and it worked a little but still watery. I make yogurt so now I’m thinking I should have put I in a warmer place? It wasn’t cold but it wasn’t even close to 95. It won’t go to waste as I’ll mix it in with my yogurt or I can use it in the no knead bread recipe?
I used lemon should I have used vinergar? I really want to master this one.
Hi Lisette.
Because there are no artificial thickeners, your homemade sour cream may be thinner than commercial brands you may be used to. Have no fear, it’s fine. I’ve gotten used to the consistency and like it better since it blends in recipes so well.
I was wondering if you used fresh lemon or not. Usually fresh lemon works better, but if you do not have that, vinegar will work well. Some have added vinegar and it instantly thickened!
Some other Bold Bakers have also used 100% heavy cream instead.
Let me know how you go along.
Gemma 😊
Made this. Awesome! My toddlers go through sour cream like water. Question. For some reason I can’t comment on best brownie recipe.
Can I make batter ahead of time? Mohave a party and they want me to make two batches this time. Let me know how I can simplify, because I’m also making chef Dennis tiramisu. Need to try yours but nobody will let me because I mastered the other one.
Hi Lisette,
thank you for this lovely review. Delighted your little ones enjoy this, sophisticated palates!
you found out the hard way that when you get it right, you are asked again, and again! haha, now you are the dessert queen.
Yes, you can make the batter ahead of time, there is no raising agent in this type of batter so it will not come to any harm.
making ahead too is a good idea, this actually improves the flavor when made a day or two ahead.
Chef Dennis is serving you well – you can test ours at another time, well done you,
Gemma 🙂
Hi, Couldn’t I just use extra heavy cream instead of the milk if I want it thicker? Thanks, Peter
You can do that if you’d like. Let me know how you go, Peter. Gemma 😊
Hi Gemma,
Can heavy cream be substituted with regular cream in this recipe? It is not easy to come by store-bought heavy cream in India and if at all it tends to be super expensive.
On another note, your 3-ingredient flat bread recipe is what I have tried so far and while the flavours worked the bread turned quite hard soon after coming off the stove top. Maybe I added a tad too much of baking powder, but any tips to ensure how I can keep the flatbreads soft till much later?
Thanks a bunch
Hi Anu! You can use heavy cream to make sour cream for sure.
As for the flatbread, to keep them soft, first when making the dough, you need to let this rest to allow the gluten to develop. Makes it easier to work with it. When dealing with the cooked flatbread, stack them on top of each other and cover with a damp tea towel.
Hope this helps!
Gemma 😊
Thanks much for the tip on the flatbread.
For the sour cream recipe, my query was if regular cream can be used instead of heavy cream and would that give the expected consistency of sour cream?
Thanks Again
Hi there,
no! the fat content makes a difference to the consistency of the finished cream, that is what causes it to thicken. I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I have only 25%fat cream. So in that case should I change the cream:milk ratio like add more cream and less milk or just do as your recipe says? This sour cream is for cake baking purpose and the cream is store bought while milk is fresh farm milk.
Hi Maggie Jo! You can use the same ratios in the recipe with that. I think the farm fresh milk will help. Gemma 😊
Hi gemma! The mixture created very small bubbles. Used it in cheesecake but it turned out cakey. Was tryin to do a creamy cheesecake. Do you think it was because of the milk? Thanks!
Hi Mhae,
I’m really stumped by this comment. I’m guessing it was a baked cheesecake? Was it my recipe?
Gemma.
Hi! Won’t leaving the sour cream on the kitchen counter overnight spoil it? The room temp here is almost 35 C 😅.
Hi Marina,
what you are doing is culturing the cream. The temperature of your room is 35c/95f. Maintaining a temperature of 95 – 110F will be ideal for fermenting all milk products, including yogurt. Think about it, it is used as a way to preserve the milk and has been for centuries prior to refrigeration.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Thank you so much! It turned out perfect 😄
One would be better to buy the real (rermented) sour cream from Waitrose (for eaxample).
Fermented sour cream has lovely complex flavours.
And, its so easy to make.
Mix some culture into a pot of cream. Stand on the couter top overnight.
The culture is available online.
Hi Kevin,
that, of course, is an option too.
Lots of sour cream in the stores here in the US and other places is actually not a fermented cream, or sometimes even cream, but rather set with something like carrageenan. This is true of some Greek Style yogurts too. you clearly know your onions!
You can too try fermenting the cream with kefir, which will give you a Mexican Crema, really thick and delicious.
Thank you for your input,
Gemma 🙂
This Mexican Crema sounds amazing. Do you use milk kefir, or water kefir?
I made this today but after about 7 hour I didn’t see any change in it so I removed the paper towel to see it is that wrong or should I throw it away?
Hi there,
tell me about your cream!
1 cup (8oz / 240g) heavy cream
2 teaspoon lemon juice (or white vinegar)
¼ cup (2oz / 60g) milk
The cream which I use for most of my recipes is fresh dairy cream. This needs to be at least 35% fat content to whip well. This is from cows milk. It is a liquid product found in the chill cabinet in your store. It will spoil in a few days, even when refrigerated. It has no additives, it is just natural cream, skimmed from milk.
In some places, where there is no dairy industry, there are manufactured products, usually made with milk powders and fats. These are good for some applications, but they are not fresh cream. They may work in this type of recipe but I have not tried them.
Let me know if this helped,
Gemma 🙂
Can I use full cream instead of heavy cream. I am in the Philippines and can not find heavy cream.
Hi Tony,
The cream which I use for most of my recipes is fresh dairy cream. This needs to be at least 35% fat content to whip well. This is from cows milk. It is a liquid product found in the chill cabinet in your store. It will spoil in a few days, even when refrigerated. It has no additives, it is just natural cream, skimmed from milk.
In some places, where there is no dairy industry, there are manufactured products, usually made with milk powders and fats. These are good for some applications, but they are not fresh cream. I think this is called ‘All purpose cream’ in the Philippines.
So, what matters most is that it has a high-fat content, this means that it will be thick when it is finished. I do not know if the reconstituted creams will work well for this purpose, it depends on how they are processed.
My suggestion is to try it, not a whole batch, but a little, just to see what happens as it cultures, that will be the best teacher of all,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
First of all, thank you so much for this recipe for sour cream.
Where I live, I can access Creme Fraiche, and I saw in the post below that I could use that, so that is good. But I also only have reliable access to UHT milk. If I use the creme fraiche, vinegar (we don’t have lemons), and UHT milk, will this still work?
Thank you,
Brittney
Hi Brittney,
it is difficult for me to respond to this. some Ultra heat treated cream is denatured and so it will not give a good consistent result, meaning it will not thicken. For this type of cream you could use natural Greek/strained yogurt to culture it, and then flavor it as you wish too. To 1 cup/8ozs of cream lightly whipped, add 1 large tablespoon of strained yogurt and whisk it through, cover and allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour, whisk it again and refrigerate. This gives a good result for dips/toppings etc. You can add chives and spices too.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Thank you!
So the Creme Fraiche I found was actually only 30%, but I did find something called “Baker’s cream” which was 35%. The yoghurt we have here is made from powdered milk, and I haven’t been able to find any yoghurt with live cultures. But I have now tried to make the recipe with the Baker’s cream, 1/4 cup UHT milk, and something called “alcohol vinegar” (that is the only white vinegar I could find)… sooo, it’s sitting now. Hopefully it will work sort of? I’ll keep you posted!
Please do! Let me know how it comes out. I look forward to hearing from you!
I think it turned out! I mean, it was thick, and tasted like sour cream, and our homemade pierogi were fantastic. Turns out the “Baker’s cream” was also UHT, even though it was in the fridge section. So I guess it works with UHT. I met a woman who is able to get non UHT milk every once in a while, so I’ll see if I can try it with non UHT milk and cream and see if there is that much of a difference. I was going to add some photos but I don’t think I can. Thank you again, this was excellent!
B
Let us know how you go on this, thank you for sharing!
Hi this is in response to Toni’s I’m also here in the Philippines what I use is whipping cream with 35% fat content look for these brands in the chiller section ARLA; EMBORG; and ANCHOR
hi there,
many thanks for this, I have added this information to my store of knowledge which I can now share with other bold bakers around the world.
I really appreciate your taking the trouble,
Gemma 🙂
Thank you very much.
I used mascarpone instead of heavy cream and this caused my mix to be as thick as purchased brands without the additives. Mascarpone is thickened using vinegar or lemon juice the same as sour cream, so it makes sense. Hopefully someone else can give this a go and see what they think! Great recipe, no need to buy in store again 🙂
Hi Dannii,
Thank you for telling us about this. I am getting great help with this today. Well done you, well thought through. creme Fraiche would do it too.
Gemma 🙂
Olá!!! moro no Brasil e aqui não tem o sour cream, nem mesmo algo parecido. quero fazer o cheesecake que necessita desse ingrediente, então, esse que você fez serviria para fazer o cheesecake? Desculpa a escrita, mas não falo ingles 🙁
Obrigada!!
Att:.Dardania
(Hello!!! I live in Brazil and do not have the sour cream, not even something like that. I want to make the cheesecake that needs this ingredient, so, what did you do that would make the cheesecake? Sorry for the writing, but I do not speak English 🙁
Thanks!!
Att: .Dardania)
https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/how-to-make-sour-cream/. Isso lhe dará um creme azedo para todas as suas receitas. Você também pode usar um iogurte natural puro / natural para cultivar o creme. deixe-o repousar por mais ou menos uma hora, depois junte-o, bom para mergulhos.
Espero que isso seja de ajuda para você.
https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/how-to-make-sour-cream/. This will give you a sour cream for all your recipes. You can also use a natural pure / natural yogurt to culture the cream. Let it stand for about an hour, then whip it.
I hope this helps you, Gemma.
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma as I’m whipping the cream for my ice cream base, (I’m cooking at the same time not paying attention of the whipping)I think I over whip it because it curdled milk separates with liquid I don’t like ir to be wasted thT’s why I save it inside the fridge what else can I do with it waiting asap for your answer please if you may thanks you so much I’m currently living here in the Philippines it hot weather here at rhis rime it’s summer here now.
Hi, for this you can turn it into butter, just keep on whipping and add in salt 😀
Can i use non dairy Wipping cream ?
Hi, i would not suggest that for this recipe.
Hi Gemma! We don’t use any disposable products, so I don’t have paper towel. Would I be able to cover the jar with a cheesecloth instead? Thank you so much!
Hi, yes that will work very well!
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Gemma: firstly it is an amazing recipe that you showed in an interesting fashion.
1) Can we use butter milk instead of a lemon or vinegar? what according to you would be a better culture?
2) If we need to make a flavored sour cream, by adding some herbs or black pepper and salt, what would be the right time to introduce these? Is it at the start or just before serving?
Hi Nishant,
1. you can culture cream with yogurt too, a good quality organic plain yogurt/strained like a Greek yogurt, will be great too. buttermilk, if it is a natural one, would be good, but it may dilute the cream and make it thin. A tablespoon of yogurt to a cup of cream will do it. Proceed as per the recipe.
2. When you add herbs to a sour cream will depend on the herb, and how long you will store the cream for. I would add the soft herbs shortly before serving. Herbs like parsley, chives/basil/coriander will wilt in the cream quickly enough, no need to leave them in too long. More woody herbs are not so suitable for this as they tend to stay a bit raw tasting. Seasoning like pepper/salt/paprika can be added at any point.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe, but have two questions. Question 1: I only have access to raw cow’s milk where I live. Can I use the cream skimmed off the milk for this recipe? If so, how could I make sure the fat content is right? Question 2: We have to “pasteurize” it for health reasons in our family. I do this by heating it on the stove to 165 F then cooling it down. Is it possible to do this and have the recipe turn out? Should I heat the milk before separating the cream or heat the cream after I’ve skimmed it off? Thank you! I’m so excited to have sour cream again after 2 years living abroad in a sour cream-less environment!
Hi Emily,
How lucky you are to have your own milk. I thing you would pasteurize the milk first then skim it. The fat content of milk varies too 3.5% is generally what we find in the US, but it can be higher than that up to 5% depending on what the cows eat. Cream which will whip up well will need to have a fat content of 35% that is ten times what you will find in the milk. You probably already allow milk to stand and skim it for cream, so you will have a good idea of what you will need to produce one cup of cream.
I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Gemma 🙂
Hi.. Can I know what kind of milk for sour cream? Is it milk that we just can buy at store such as full cream milk?
Hi Elvona,
this is sour cream, so you start with cream, not milk. The cream which I use for most of my recipes is fresh dairy cream. This needs to be at least 35% fat content to whip well. This is from cows milk. It is a liquid product found in the chill cabinet in your store. It will spoil in a few days, even when refrigerated. It has no additives, it is just natural cream, skimmed from milk. This is what I also use for sour cream, it thickens up nicely, which is what we like!
It really depends on what you use this for. Some recipes which call for sour cream can also take yogurt, or buttermilk. (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/homemade-buttermilk/). you can easily make a sub for that.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hi, I just wanted to mention something in hopes that it may help out someone. I followed the instructions but used ultra pasteurized heavy cream and bottled lemon juice. After 24 hours, it was still completely liquid and had no sour flavor at all. In my frustration, I stirred in an additional 1/2 tsp of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp vinegar, and low and behold, it thickened instantly! I’m going to leave it out some more, testing every few hours to see if I can achieve the tangy flavor. Good luck to everyone and thank you for the recipe!
That’s great advice! It is very much appreciate 🙂
Best,
Gemma.
I followed what you did because mine was strangely liquid as well. I kept thinking is it supposed to be THIS thin? Adding that vinegar and it instantly thickened when I mixed omg. I will try adding a little lemon juice cause it seems the vinegar doesnt really give the tangy flavour though?
Thank you SO much for this little addendum to the recipe. Mine was just as liquidy the next day. I put it in the fridge to see if it would thicken up. Then I found your post (so glad I looked!). You are right. Instant thickening while stirring. I have added the note to my written recipe and will see what happens after it completes chilling. And yes, I’m waiting for the tang in the flavor as well. And thank YOU, Gemma for helping me to homestead. Hugs and smiles to all.
Wow,i’m delighted to hear that! Thank you for the message!
UPDATE to my previous post — I refrigerated the cream after the addition recommended by Gina. Unfortunately the mixture spoiled before I could use it. I attribute this to using UP cream. I started a new batch with buttermilk as a culture base and my new cream came out just dandy. Thank you both again.
Hi Chris,
Good job! I know it is a process which has to suit. My mum cultures the cream with plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon in a cup of cream, an hour or so, for a quick fix. Delighted you found a solution, thank you for telling us about it,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Does the temperature of the kitchen really affect the time you need to put the jar out for fermentation?
Hi Sarah,
Yes, but the room temperature will need to be above to 24c in order for it to have a bad effect on the cream. At this temperature, or below, all will be well,
Gemma 🙂
What if we tried to scoop off the top and strain out some of the liquid? Would that make for thicker sour cream, or ruin the flavor? Thanks, Gemma!
Hi Chelsea,
If you are using cream there should not be too much liquid, it really should thicken up nicely for you. . The cream which I use for most of my recipes is fresh dairy cream. This needs to be at least 35% fat content to whip well. This is from cows milk. It is a liquid product found in the chill cabinet in your store. It will spoil in a few days, even when refrigerated. It has no additives, it is just natural cream, skimmed from milk. This is what works best for this recipe. It is also what works best for this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
Do you think this would work with heavy cream and skim or lowfat milk?
I’m not sure about that but I don’t see why not. I think it would work just fine.
Best,
Gemma.
Made your sour cream recipe. Think it turned out good. Will try it in a recipe sometime during the week. Yes it is thinner than store bought but like you said it will work good in cooking. It is too thin to make onion dip with. If there is anyway I can thicken it to make dip please let me know. I make my own onion soup mix to add to the sour cream. I find it easier to date what I make with the expiration date so that I don’t have to remember them.
Hi Gracie,
Do tell me about the cream you started with, that will affect the finish a lot.
Store bought sour cream is often not all cream, and is thickened with carrigeenan or such. Read the labels where you buy yours, that will tell you. For your dip you could thicken the sour cream too, by adding a little cornstarch, mixed with cream/milk/water to the hot cream.
There are means! A heavy cream 35% fat content should thicken up without and additions.
I hope this is of help to you,
Gemma 🙂
Once I left it sit in the refrigerator for a day it thicken up. I think it might work fine for dip now. If I still want it thicker I will try your suggestion. Thanks for helping.
Hi there! I’m curious to try this right away! I’m wondering what the result would be if I used buttermilk? Any idea?
Thanks! Terri
Hi, i’m not sure about that, if you try it let me know!
Your recipe for Sour Cream is excellent. Very simple. Thanks for sharing
I am delighted to hear that, thank you!
Hey Gemma,
So the other day I made two batches of sour cream. The first one was give or take half pouring cream (~40% fat) and half whole milk and some lemon, probably more than two teaspoons (I hadn’t scrolled down and seen the actual recipe. Ironically this batch turned out great and I made some good cheese with it.
The second batch I made I followed the recipe and upon tasting it the other day it was quite bitter and not sour at all. Both batches were made at the same time and left out for 24 hours. The first batch smelled like bad feet but tasted great and nice and tangy, the second batch smelled the same but just tasted bitter, did I not use enough lemon juice perhaps?
I’m particularly curious if it makes any difference the ratio of milk to cream and also the amount of lemon juice?
Absolutely love your style btw, easy to watch, easy to follow, and beautifully concise ( ‘ v ‘ )
Hi there,
I am delighted you are using your instincts to make these recipes.
I am not too sure how you managed the second recipe, you did not really tell me! Proportions are really important, and it is sour ‘cream’ not sour milk, which will be more of a curd when finished.
Actually a lot of store bought ‘sour cream’ is actually more like a milk, which has been stabilized/thickened with a gelling agent, such as Carrigeenan. Natural fresh cream will be best for this homemade recipe, but it sounds like you found a solution for you,
Gemma 🙂
Hello,
I followed the recipe and was really excited and when I went to stir it, the top had turned into sour cream but not the rest of the 99% of it……I bake all the time and have no idea what happened. Do I need to let it sit longer? I live in Taiwan. So very hot and humid.
Hi there, the heat can effect it, i might give it a stir and allow it to set for another day. Let me know how it turns out!
I did have to leave it out longer. I also did give it a stir. It worked! I only left it out five more hours but definitely think it could sit out longer as it still tastes “sweet” I guess is the word. It worked great when I made my homemade ranch!!!! ♥♥♥ I will play with it some more. Thank you for the recipe.♥I can’t wait to try the ricotta cheese recipe.
Great job! I am delighted to hear that, enjoy!
I think I figured out why it took so long for it to turn into sour cream. The lemons over here in Taiwan do not seem to have as much acid in them. I figured this out last night when trying to make the ricotta cheese. It just would not curdle well even though I doubled the amount of fresh lemon juice. I decided to add in vinegar and Bam. Much better. They do taste pretty sweet compared to ours in America. Also, they do not burn as much when a drop gets into your eye😂
Great tip, so glad you got it to work!
Hi Gemma,
Could I sub the cream with 1/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup milk? Thank you so much in advance! 🙂 I appreciate your efforts to help us!
Hi Franz,
That is a great question! Unfortunately that won’t work for this recipe. Hope this helps.
Gemma.
Hi, I live in India so options are very limited… I only have uht cream 25% fat… how do I get to the end result? It’s for a NY cheesecake so alternatives would be fab if the above won’t work… I made it as in the recipe but, with the above cream, just now
I have heard about Malai from other Bold Bakers based in India, which has a very high fat content. I think, based on what they’ve shared, you can certainly use this as well to replace heavy / whipping cream.
Hi Gemma
Is it ok if i substitute yoghurt for sour cream
Hi rEhema,
It depends on the recipe and the purpose of the cream?
No straight answer to this one!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Emma! That sour cream looks amazing. I’m just concerned about leaving the mix of cream and milk overnight out of the refrigerator. Would it be safe to eat it?
Hi, yes this will be fine 😀 Let me know how you go if you give it a try.
Hey can I substite lemon juice with orange or does it have to be lemon juice…
P.s. I love your recipes
Thank you, i’m delighted to hear that! I would suggest lime juice instead.
How can we make Creme fraiche
OH, that’s a great idea, i’ll have to look into that!
Hi Gemma,
I am involved in Airline catering and love your recipes. I often take valuable tips from you. Keep it up.
I am delighted to hear that! Same to you!
Hi Gemma!
Can I use evaporated milk in place of either the heavy whipping cream or the whole milk? Or maybe just use evaporated milk and lemon juice?
I would no suggest that as it will make the sour cream sweet.
Please advise if this recipe is only good for baking or also for Mexican burritos
Hi Ram,
Thank you for being in touch.
This is a natural sour cream, you can use it as you wish.
The issue is that store bought sour cream is often thickened, with carrigeenan or such, and also can have additional ingredients. If this is what you are used to then this original style may feel odd to you, however it is the real thing!
Gemma 🙂
Evaporated milk is just cooked down milk. I think you’re referring to sweetened condensed milk. I was thinking I could just add a little water to make it like regular milk or heavy cream.
Hi Sandra,
Yes, I know. The issue is that the milk has been heat treated, and this may interfere with its ability to culture. Also it is not cream, though in commercially produced sour cream milk is often used, soured, and thickened, with something like gelling agents. Take a loo at trhe packs in the store, it is informative.
The fat content of evaporated milk will be the same as the milk you started with. 3.5% is as good as it gets.
Cream on the other hand, at the heavy end of it, is 35% fat content, a different thing. I ohpe this hleps,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I just came across your recipes yesterday when searching for tiramisu. I’m from UAE, and here it’s hard to find mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, sour cream n so on. So, i would like to know i have this thick cream, is it the same as heavy cream? Hope you can help. Also can nestle cream be used as a thick, heavy or double cream instead? Like I said it’s hard to find such creams here.
Hi Farheen,
The cream which I use for most of my recipes is fresh dairy cream. This needs to be at least 35% fat content to whip well. This is from cows milk. It is a liquid product found in the chill cabinet in your store. It will spoil in a few days, even when refrigerated. It has no additives, it is just natural cream, skimmed from milk.
In some places, where there is no dairy industry, there are manufactured products, usually made with milk powders and fats. These are good for some applications, but they are not fresh cream. I am sorry, it cannot be actually made!
Nestle cream is a powdered whipping cream, which may work in this recipe, but it tends to collapse when another ingredient is added to it. You can try a little sample, if this works then it will be good for this tiramisu recipe, but not so much for ice cream. I am really not sure as I do not get this product, but from other bold bakers I hear that it liquefies when you add something to it.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hi. So I tried yesterday at 1.30 pm. It is now 11.24 am and while it thickened, there was no separation and the taste is no different to the extra whipping cream . I used extra whipping cream, whole milk and white vinegar. I live in the Caribbean and the weather is hot but this time of the year it is cool. I kept it in the oven overnight.
Hi there,
I am not sure what you mean by separation! This should not separate, it should set up, and slightly sour.
I use heavy whipping cream, 35% fat content, and whole milk for this. I presume this is what you have there too.
If you add more lemon juice, or vinegar it may very well separate and form a curd. I am thinking this is an issue of comparison with store bough sour cream, which tends to be lower in cream and thickened, and stronger in flavor. I hope you will enjoy using it, it should taste really good when chilled.
Gemma 🙂
Fantastic blog
Thank you so much!
Hi Gemma here in UAE heavy cream is hard to find… What should I used then to make one?
Hi there, if you can get double cream that will work too!
Hi
I am able to get only single cream here, 25 percentage fat cream. What should I do
Hi there, what you can do is melt 1/4 cup of butter and add it into the cream to up the fat content to match content of heavy cream. I hope that helps, enjoy!
Hi Gemma
I live in DOminican Republic, and my kitchen is very hot.
what is the best temperature to live the jar overnight?
would keep this in the coolest place possible. Enjoy!
Can i use UHT pasteurized cream for this recipe?
Hi there,
UHT cream is treated with heat and I am not sure it will work for you. It depends on what you have where you live, the cream has been denatured by the process and is difficult to culture.
A quick solution, if you are using it as a side dish, is to add a little lemon juice or vinegar to the cold cream, season, refrigerate and use.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Is there any substitute for sour cream in making baked cheesecakes?
And is full cream milk is the same as full fat milk?
Thanks gemma! You are the best!
Hi there, instead of sour cream you can use Greek yogurt, nascarpone or creme fraiche. Full cream has a higher fat content than full fat milk so i would suggest sticking with heavy cream for this.
Hi Gemma is this the same as creme fraiche? I saw a recipe for creme fraiche online that was cream + buttermilk, but perhaps it would yield the same results? Love your bold basics, thanks!
Hi there, great question! I’ve never tried that but it sounds like it might work!
Hi thanks for your recipes. i would like to make this for eating not just baking. How’s do I thicken the mixture?
To thicken it you can strain it with cheesecloth in the fridge. Allow it to sit in the cheesecloth set inside of a strainer over an empty bowl over night. the next day you can discard the liquid and the sour cream should be much thicker.
I love your videos. Could you post a recipe for dairy-free sour cream? Thank you. Andrea
Hi there,
Thank you for your kind words. I will add that idea to my list. It is not impossible, actually a lot of store bough sour cream is actually thickened, with carrigeen Moss or cornstarch, and that is what you would do using non dairy like Soy/Almond/coconut milks. Then you will use an acid ingredient, such as vegetarian yogurt/lemon juice/cider vinegar etc.
I have added this to my list, thank you for the suggestion,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I totally love your work. I live in Singapore and the weather is pretty much warm, as high as 30+C . So I was wondering if leaving the jar 24h is advisable. Appreciate your reply.
Merlina
Thanks so much, Merlina.
Place it in a cupboard if that is a cooler spot. Just keep it in the coolest part of your kitchen. It should be fine.
Gemma.
I tried this followed directions and I found my sour cream was not sour and tasted more like slightly sour butter
Oh funny, Terry. I’m sorry to hear that. If you don’t want to eat it you can use it in baking where you would normally use yogurt.
Best,
Gemma.
This is my first try with any of your recipes. I only had heavy whipping cream. Like someone else mentioned, it isn’t sour. Could I add more lemon juice (or white vinegar) to sour it a little more?
yes you can do that, Gina 🙂
Thanks for giving my recipes a try.
Gemma.