A hand holding a spoon of homemade sour cream over a full jar.
dairy products

Thick and Mild Raw Milk Sour Cream Recipe

As you well know, I love to make as many dairy products as I can from what milk our cows give us. That’s why I have a milk fridge and why I’ve learned how to culture our own products.

Next up – sour cream. It’s the best topping for tacos, casseroles, eggs, you name it. Even by the spoon. Why not?

Yes, you can make sour cream without added cultures if using raw milk. However, my crew didn’t like how strong tasting it was, and I was constantly told it wasn’t thick enough. I ended up using it up in baking, every. dang. time.

I discovered the trick to making a THICK and tangy yet not too zingy sour cream, just like my family was used to from the store.

A hand holding a spoon of homemade sour cream over a full jar.
A hand holding a spoon of homemade sour cream over a full jar.
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5 from 5 votes

How to Make Sour Cream

I discovered the trick to making a THICK and tangy yet not too zingy sour cream, just like my family was used to from the store!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Inactive Time1 d
Total Time1 d 25 mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 quart
Calories: 51kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 quart heavy cream skimmed from raw milk or pasteurized cream from store
  • 2 teaspoons gelatin
  • 1/4 teaspoon mesophyllic culture I've had good success with aby2c yogurt culture too!

Instructions

  • Stir cream and gelatin together and let sit a few minutes.
  • Warm to 90-95F, then sprinkle mesophyllic culture over the cream and let sit a few minutes to rehydrate.
  • Whisk it in, pour into a jar (i like to rinse jar i used to scoop cream into with hot water to warm it up). Put a lid on and wrap with a tea towel. Tuck somewhere warm (i like beside stove) and let sit 24-36 hrs.
  • To know if its done, gently tip it on its side, does it look like its thickening up? If so, move to fridge. If not, leave another 6-12 hrs and check again.
  • When its chilled, it will have thickened up more and be PERFECT for all your sour cream needs!

Notes

Make this to your desired thickness – incubation time is anywhere from 24-36 hours depending on your preference.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 14mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Like yogurt, sour cream is a cultured product, meaning it can be low in lactose so that you might tolerate it even if you can’t drink straight cow’s milk. Give it a try if you’re feeling adventurous.

A spoon pulling out a scoop of homemade sour cream from a mason jar.

What to Eat with Your Sour Cream

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