It's easy to make the tangy, creamy condiment from 2 ingredients you already have on hand.
Makes1 cupPrep3 minutesWe independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
If your refrigerator is anything like mine, half of the space is jam-packed with condiments. Those tubs of miso, sticks of butter, and bottles of salad dressing can add something special to simple weeknight meals. Instead of buying more sour cream from the store, I like to make the tangy, creamy condiment from what I already have on hand. It helps keep my grocery bill in check (something I prioritize as much as flavor when it comes to meal planning), and it avoids food waste.
Commercial cultured sour cream is made by adding lactic acid cultures to heavy cream, giving it a thick texture and tangy flavor. Homemade sour cream requires just two ingredients: heavy cream and an acid, like freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. I like to use a ratio of 1 cup cream to 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar.
Combine heavy cream and lemon juice (or vinegar) in a clean glass jar and stir with a clean spoon. Cover the jar loosely with a paper towel or coffee filter to allow for airflow while protecting the cream as it sits out. After about 24 hours the cream will have thickened slightly. Give the cream a stir and move it to the refrigerator for longer storage.
What Can You Substitute for Sour Cream?
If you don’t have 24 hours to devote to thickening cream on your counter, try one of these other sour cream substitutes.
How to Make Sour Cream Recipe
It's easy to make the tangy, creamy condiment from 2 ingredients you already have on hand.
Prep time 3 minutes
Makes 1 cup
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 cup
heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon
freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
Instructions
Place 1 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar in a clean 1 pint glass jar and stir with a clean spoon until combined. Cover with a paper towel or cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Let sit at room temperature ( 72°F to 78°F) for 24 hours until thickened and tangy. Stir well, cover with the lid, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. The sour cream will thicken more upon refrigeration.
FAQs
Ingredients will have a number of functions in a recipe, such as adding flavour, colour or texture, or performing a particular purpose, e.g. as a thickener or setting agent. Ingredients may also be selected for their nutritional composition or used for traditional or cultural reasons.
How to enhance flavour in food? ›
Seasoning. We should all watch our salt intake, but good seasoning enhances the flavour of most foods. A sprinkling of salt over fruit that's bland or not quite ripe can make the sweet flavours taste stronger. Equally, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice over very sweet fruit can give them a brighter, more complex flavour ...
How to make food more savory? ›
Add umami-rich sauces
Use umami-rich sauces like soy sauce, miso paste or fish paste/sauce when cooking, and your vegetable dishes will be decidedly more flavorful. Adding as little as one tablespoon of one of these will make your dish more savory and complex.
What is the ingredient list used for? ›
This list shows all the ingredients in a prepackaged food. It also provides important information for people with food allergies and intolerances to certain ingredients.
Why is the ingredients list? ›
It provides consumers with all of the necessary information regarding what is contained within a product by listing all of the ingredients used. This is especially important when it comes to food allergens, and by law, all allergenic ingredients must be declared on an ingredients list in order to protect consumers.
What ingredients add flavor? ›
Here are some of the magic ingredients that our food editors claim will add extra flavour to any meal.
- Stock. Using stock adds a depth and richness to cooking that both compliments and brings out the flavour of a dish. ...
- Basil. ...
- Garlic. ...
- Sriracha. ...
- Paprika. ...
- Vinegar. ...
- Lemon. ...
- Coriander.
Add hardy herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, and marjoram to dishes early in the cooking process; this way, they release maximum flavor while ensuring that their texture will be less intrusive.
What makes food flavorful? ›
Fresh and Dried Herbs and Spices
Spices and herbs are powerful. Their aromatic essence and rich flavors can transform even simple dishes. Less can be more with intense spices, so play around with recipes to find what works best for your meals.
What cancels out lime juice? ›
Lime is an acid, so a base will balance it. Sugar will even it out nicely. Another solution is to increase all of the other ingredients by the same proportion of the lime overage.
What is to rub with fat or oil? ›
GREASE: To rub with fat or oil.
Use Spices, Seasonings, and/or Extracts.
We add spices and seasonings, fresh herbs, or even extracts to a lot of our food. Our favorite for veggies is the classic garlic and sea salt. I'm pretty sure this will make any asparagus, green bean, or Brussels sprout taste great on your plate.
Why do we need ingredients? ›
The use of fresh, high-quality ingredients can enhance the flavor profile of the dish, making it more enjoyable for consumers. Moreover, it can help to ensure that the food produced is packed with essential nutrients, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and ultimately increasing customer satisfaction.
What every ingredient has a purpose? ›
Every Ingredient Has a Purpose is a Purina initiative focused on providing transparency around ingredients in their pet food.
What are the uses of ingredients and seasonings? ›
The ingredients of seasoning
Enhancing the taste of a product, increasing its flavour or even adding a new one are all part of the art of seasoning. Salt, aromatic herbs, spices and bouquet garni are the main ingredients. Salt adds its own flavour, saltiness, and brings out the aromas in dishes.
What is the function of food ingredients? ›
Food ingredients are used for a variety of reasons:
- To support nutrition delivery.
- To maintain product quality and freshness.
- To prevent spoilage during transport, storage and sale.
- To make foods more appealing and ensure that familiar foods have consistent qualities.
- To extend shelf-life and prevent food waste.
