You’ve probably been seeing lots of recipes popping up lately which use creme fraiche instead of sour cream or even yogurt, right? Well, if you aren’t familiar with creme fraiche yet, you are going to love it, even more so because it can quite easily be made at home. Creme fraiche is like sour cream, but has a higher fat content in it than most commercially made sour cream products sold in the U.S. It is made from adding bacteria to heavy whipping cream, which allows the bacteria to feast on the sugars in the cream and thicken it up. Creme fraiche holds up well doing cooking as tends to give dishes a creamy, slightly sweet note which is hard to beat in the texture department. I’ve recently fallen in love with creme fraiche as it is a mainstay in Paleo eating, but also because it is just so darn easy to make.
Creme fraiche is pretty widely available in Norway, but it can be expensive. For a less expensive and tastier option, I tend to make my creme fraiche at home using organic Norwegian sour cream and heavy whipping cream. The result is naturally sweet, unbelively creamy and slightly tangy – perfect for taco night or as a base for dips and dressings. I recently used my homemade creme fraiche in a simple smoked salmon and chive canapé for an event we hosted at Mathallen Stavanger and it was a big hit.
- 500 ml (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons buttermilk or organic sour cream
- pinch of sea salt
- Combine the cream and buttermilk or sour cream in a glass jar. Add the lid, shake for 10-15 seconds, then remove the lid and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature (around 21C/70F) for 8-24 hours. The longer you allow the mixture to sit, the thicker it will become.
- The creme is finished when it has reached its desired thickness. Add the salt, stir to incorporate and refrigerate. You mixture may need to refrigerate the creme before it sets completely. Lasts for a 7-10 days in the fridge.
More recipes using creme fraiche:
Creme Fraiche: What is it, and What to do with it? from the Kitchn
Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta With Strawberry Purée from Ny Magazine
Blackberry creme fraiche ice cream by the LA Times
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Hello Whitney!
I am also an expat from America (but Southern in my case) here in Norway! (just released a blog from my own, I’m excited! check it out!)
We were talking about creme fraiche today at lunch time, I’m totally gonna try yours 😉
xoxo