Easy to make traditional homemade sour cream with no thickeners, and full of probiotics. If you've ever wondered how to make sour cream, there is where you start! Try these 4 different methods to make a Smetana Recipe (Сметана)
Course Condiment, Dairy
Cuisine Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword homemade sour cream, how to make sour cream, Smetana, sour cream recipe
Total Time 2 daysdays
Servings 2cups
Equipment
colander for Kefir and Milk Method
Ingredients
Sour Cream Made with Whipping Cream
2cupsWhipping Cream with high butter fat(heavy cream)
2tablespoonsnatural yogurt or homemade Sour Cream
Sour Cream Made with Milk
32ozmilkor 1 litre
4tablespoonsButtermilk or Kefir
Sour Cream Made with Kefir
32ozKefiror 1 litre
Sour Cream Made with Starter
Whipping Cream
Sour Cream Starter
Instructions
Sour Cream Made with Whipping Cream
It's best to warm the whipping cream, to slightly warmer than room temperature, but not hot! You can either warm in a pot and pour into a jar, or pour into a jar and warm in a pot of water. Either way, place the warmed cream into a mason jar.
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and about ⅓ cup of whipping cream until smooth and all lumps are gone. This will break up the thick yogurt, allowing for even distribution through the whipping cream. Add the whipping cream jar and mix.
Cover the jar with a cheesecloth and leave in a warm spot for 24-48 hours. In summertime, the warmer house temp should be enough. In winter, place in a warmed oven. Don't leave oven on!
The sour cream is ready when it is thick and creamy. It will thicken as you cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 12 hours before serving. Enjoy.
Sour Cream Made with Milk
Bring the milk to a boil in a pot and allow to cool until it's warm, again around 104°F/40°C degrees
Whisk in Buttermilk or Kefir, close lid of the pot and cover it with a towel or blanket to keep warm
Leave on counter for about 7 hours until it resembles a thick yogurt
Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and place inside a bowl
Pour the fermented milk into the colander, cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours, giving it the occasional stir
The whey separates into the bowl, leaving the sour cream inside the colander
To ensure the sour cream is smooth, whisk by hand, adding extra milk if it's too thick. Place in a sterilized glass jar and refrigerate until you're ready to use
Sour Cream Made with Kefir
Line a colander with 7 or 8 layers of cheesecloth and place in a bowl
Pour the Kefir into the colander and place it into the fridge for about 8 hours
Whisk to ensure there aren't any lumps, place in sterilized glass jar keep refrigerated
Sour Cream Made with Starter
Whisk Sour Cream Starter with heavy cream until it's combined (about 2 minutes)
Pour into a glass jar, cover with cheesecloth so it breaths, and place in a warm, dark place for 12 hours