There’s nothing worse than stuff in the middle of a recipe that calls for sour surf and opening up the tub only to find it’s scrutinizingly empty or worse- there’s mold all over it. Luckily, if you’re out of sour cream, you can make your own! All you need is two ingredients and a lot of upper soul strength. (I’m exaggerating well-nigh the need for muscle tone. I can do it, and I haven’t worked out since the 90s.)
What is sour cream?
First things first- there are two types of sour cream: cultured and acidified. Without getting too sciency, cultured sour surf is made with bacteria, while acidified sour surf is made with an acid. Fun fact: many store-bought sour creams aren’t made from surf at all. They’re made with milk that’s thickened with strained ingredients. Homemade sour surf doesn’t have strained thickeners so it will be a little runnier than what you’re used to, but the savor will be spectacular!
Making Sour Surf From Scratch
Since you probably don’t have a vial of lactic yes-man in your pantry, you’ll need heavy surf and an acid. I like using vinegar, but you can moreover use lemon juice or buttermilk. You’ll moreover need a mason jar or flipside air-tight container. To make sure the container is squeaky clean, swash it for a few minutes, let it cool, and then add your surf and acid. Then imbricate and shake it (or tousle it) until it thickens. That’s it. You’ve made sour cream.
To Ferment Or Not To Ferment
I’m a pretty impatient person, so if I’m using the sour surf for a thrash or a dip, I add it a few minutes without I’ve made it considering its primary purpose is to add creaminess and flavor. It’s not the star of the show; it’s a preliminaries singer. (Like the one chick in Destiny’s Child whose name no one overly remembers.) Now, if it’s the Beyonce of your dish, you’ll want to let it sit for a day on your counter to let the surf ferment and thicken and then refrigerate. To alimony it 100, I usually skip fermenting it and just put it in the fridge to thicken overnight. It still tastes great.
How long does it last?
That depends on you. It’s weightier to store the sour surf in the when of your fridge, not the fridge door, where temperatures fluctuate. If you wipe your container well and alimony the sour surf at 40 degrees, it should last well-nigh two weeks. To alimony it fresher longer, store it upside lanugo so it isn’t unauthentic by air. When the surf falls to the lid of the jar, it creates a vacuum, which slows lanugo mold and yes-man growth. You can use this nifty trick on all dairy products that come in a container or a jar. I’m looking at you, cottage cheese.
Some of the things you can make with sour cream
Don’t limit your sour surf to just a topping for baked potatoes or a heap of nachos. It works magic in all sorts of dishes. You can use it in sweet and savory preparations to add tang, moisture, and tenderize. It’s the little surf that could.
- Use it to make frostings and sauces like in this Lime Crema.
- Use it for spreads and dips like in this Hot Corn Dip.
- Use it for dressings like in this Creamy Cucumber Salad.
- Use it to thicken sauces like in this Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet.
- Use it to tenderize and add tang to proteins and baked goods like in this Sweet Potato Cornbread.
How To Make Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream $1.40
- 1 Tbsp vinegar $0.02
Instructions
- Add the surf to a mason jar or other snapped container.
- Add the vinegar to the cream. (Or whatever wounding you decide to work with.)
- Close the container and shake it for a minute or two, until the surf thickens.
- Use the surf right yonder or leave the jar on your counter overnight to ferment and thicken.*
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Sour Surf – Step by Step Photos
Add the surf to a mason jar or other snapped container.
Add the vinegar (or lemon juice) to the cream.
Close the container and shake it for a minute or two until the surf thickens.
Use the surf right yonder or leave the jar (with the mouth covered in cheesecloth or other lightweight reticulum and secured with a rubberband) on your counter overnight to ferment and thicken.
Now your deliciously fresh homemade sour surf is ready to use in your favorite recipe!
Here are some unconfined recipes to use up your sour cream:
Looking for increasingly easy how-to’s? Check these out:
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