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
Liquid ingredients refer to any liquid substance that is used in cooking or baking, which includes water, milk, broth, juice, vinegar, oils, and sauces. These ingredients play a crucial role in the culinary world, as they can provide moisture, flavor, and texture to various dishes.
What does it mean to standardize a recipe? ›
A standardized recipe is defined as a recipe with specific ingredients and ingredient quantities, a specific cook time, and a set of instructions that ensure a consistent product is produced each time the recipe is used.
What are the functions of ingredients in cooking? ›
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.
What is the formula for increasing or decreasing a recipe yield? ›
Determine the required yield of the recipe by multiplying the new number of portions and the new size of each portion. Find the conversion factor by dividing the required yield (Step 2) by the recipe yield (Step 1). That is, conversion factor = (required yield)/(recipe yield).
What are 2 liquid ingredients? ›
Liquid measuring cup: Used to measure liquid ingredients like water, milk, and oil.
What are two examples of liquid ingredients? ›
Some examples of liquid or 'wet' ingredients include:
- Sugars, such as corn syrup, honey, molasses or maple syrup.
- Extracts, such as Vanilla extract and other liquid flavorings.
- Oils, such as canola oil or vegetable oil.
Benefits of using a standardized recipe include:
- a consistent quality and quantity.
- standard portion size/cost.
- assuring nutritional content and addressing dietary concerns, such as special diets or food allergies.
- helping ensure compliance with “Truth in Menu” requirements.
- aiding in forecasting and purchasing.
Ingredients: a list of all the foods/seasonings/etc. that you'll use when following the recipe.
What is the difference between bread flour and cake flour? ›
Cake flour's lower protein means less gluten is formed as you mix the batter together. Less gluten formation equates to a softer, fluffier texture. Bread flour has a high protein content, which means more gluten forms during the mixing process.
What are the different methods of making bread? ›
Other methods of bread making include:
- Activated Dough Development (ADD)
- Straight Dough Method.
- Delayed Salt Method.
- Sponge and Dough Process (S&D)
- Ferment Dough Process.
For me, baking is a perfect combination of chemistry, biology and physics. Chemistry, as you mix different edible chemicals to create dough or batter, with tiny air bubbles trapped inside. Biology, as the culture of yeast provides carbon dioxide to make your bread rise.
Does yield mean in a recipe? ›
Yield in culinary terms refers to how much you will have of a finished or processed product. Professional recipes should always state a yield; for example, a tomato soup recipe may yield 15 L, and a muffin recipe may yield 24 muffins.
What does desired yield mean in a recipe? ›
Yield (Original): The total amount that a recipe produces. Desired Yield: The amount you want to make.
What is the act of adjusting a recipe to increase or decrease the number of portions referred to as? ›
It doesn't matter whether you're increasing a recipe or decreasing it — the procedure for adjusting the ingredient quantities for a different number of portions is the same. We call this scaling a recipe.
What is 10 liquid ingredients in baking? ›
What is Liquid Ingredients Formulation?
- Compressed yeast.
- Cream yeast (liquid or pumpable)
- Dry yeast (active and instant)
- High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
- Glucose (corn) syrup.
- Molasses.
- Honey.
- Invert sugar.
A wide range of liquid ingredients can be used depending on the type of sauce being prepared. These could include: Water, cream, milk, yogurt, stock, wine, vinegar, vegetable liquor, meat juices, oils and lemon juice. Liquids add flavour, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish.
What is the purpose of liquid ingredients? ›
Liquids contribute moistness to the texture and improve the mouthfeel of baked products. When water vaporizes in a batter or dough, the steam expands the air cells, increasing the final volume of the product. Milk contributes water and valuable nutrients to baked goods. It helps browning to occur and adds flavor.
What is dry and liquid ingredients? ›
Dry measuring cups are designed to measure dry ingredients like flour, nuts, and berries, while liquid measuring cups are designed to measure liquids like water, cooking oil, and yogurt.
