With just 2 ingredients you can make thick and creamy crème fraîche ~ no more last minute trips to the supermarket to buy one of those overpriced little tubs!
Never run out of crème fraîche again
The other day I was making my Simple Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart and I was so frustrated when my regular grocery store didn’t have any crème fraîche available. That’s one of the few downsides to the explosion of so many different types of foods we now have available to us in grocery stores…there simply isn’t the shelf space for all of them. It got me thinking about trying a homemade version of crème fraîche.
Crème fraîche is basically a cultured cream
Crème fraîche (pronounced “krem fresh”) is a type of cultured dairy product that originated in France. It is made by adding bacterial culture to heavy cream and allowing it to thicken and sour over time, giving it a tangy flavor and creamy texture. Basically, it’s a French version of sour cream, but more luxurious and subtle. Not quite as sour, or as thick as sour cream, though. It’s more of a tangy custard.
making crème fraîche is so simple!
You can make crème fraîche at home with just two ingredients: heavy cream and a bacterial culture.
what you’ll need
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream
how to make it
- In a clean, dry jar or container with a lid, combine the heavy cream and buttermilk/sour cream.
- Stir well to fully combine the ingredients.
- Cover the jar/container with a lid or cheesecloth and let it sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check the mixture after 12 hours to see if it has thickened and developed a tangy flavor. If not, let it sit for a few more hours until it reaches the desired consistency and taste.
- Once it has thickened, stir the mixture and then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight to fully set.
- Your homemade crème fraîche is now ready to use!
It’s a little like making yogurt only with a cream base instead of milk, but nothing gets heated or cooked. And it’s much easier. All you need to do is stir a little buttermilk into heavy cream, and let it sit so the bacteria can do their job. It will thicken into a silky crème fraîche in about 12 to 18 hours. You can literally do it in your sleep!
Homemade Crème fraîche replaces mayo, cream, sour cream, yogurt, and mascarpone cheese
Crème fraîche has a slightly higher fat content than sour cream, so when you add it to hot food it won’t break down or curdle like sour cream sometimes does. You can stir it into a sauce at the end to get a beautiful glossy finish and rich flavor. You can mix it with mayo when you’re making potato or shrimp salad. Stir it into an omelet or scrambled eggs. It makes amazing dips, salad dressings, and frostings. Sweeten it and use it like whipped cream with desserts and fruit.
how long will it last?
Homemade crème fraîche typically lasts for about 1 to 2 weeks when stored properly in the refrigerator. However, the exact shelf life can vary depending on factors such as the freshness of the ingredients used, the temperature at which it was stored, and the level of acidity in the crème fraîche.
To maximize the shelf life of homemade crème fraîche, store it in an airtight container and make sure your refrigerator is at least 40°F (4°C) or below. It’s also important to use clean utensils when handling the crème fraîche to prevent contamination.
Recipes using crème fraîche
- Crème fraîche forms the base layer in my Simple Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart
- Stir it into Wild Mushroom Soup for a creamy finish.
- It makes a rich sauce for my Cocktail Meatballs Stroganoff.
- Use it in place of mascarpone cheese in this fruit tart.
Homemade Creme Fraiche
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp cultured buttermilk (look for it with the regular milk in your supermarket) You can also use sour cream.
Instructions
- In a clean, dry jar or container with a lid, combine the heavy cream and buttermilk/sour cream. Make sure you stir to combine everything completely.
- Cover the jar/container with a lid or cheesecloth and let it sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check the mixture after 12 hours to see if it has thickened and developed a tangy flavor. If not, let it sit for a few more hours until it reaches the desired consistency and taste.
- Once it has thickened, stir the mixture and then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight to fully set.
- Your homemade crème fraîche will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Any recipe’s are good esp,when it comes to dairy product processing.
Wanted to replicate a butternut squash soup I tried while in San Francisco. Couldn’t find creme fraiche and decided to use this recipe. Did an earlier experiment using sour cream but this made such a big difference. Thanks.
I’m so glad, thanks for letting me know Davena!
This is so good to know! My grocery store does carry creme fraische, but it is sooooo expensive. Seriously, something like seven dollars for a four ounce container of the stuff — wtf?! Now that I know how easy it is to make, I’ll definitely be doing this the next time I need some!
There are so many skills and recipes like this that get lost over time, and people don’t realize that they can do it themselves…hope you try it Willow 🙂
This is pure genius! I always have buttermilk and cream in my fridge! Thanks for the post!
Yay, I did bookmark a creme fraiche recipe that said to use a bit of yogurt as the principle is the same. Commercial buttermilk is often not real buttermilk and full of thickeners and additives, so will try with the yogurt one of these days.
A great post. Most people are unaware of just how easy it is to make creme fraiche. I saw a recipe at a video blog I just love called Foodwishes.com. Where chef John does his take on “The Standard Grill’s” Million dollar chicken. Which just happens to be a roasted chicken that is slathered in a creme fraiche glaze. I haven’t made this dish yet but this post of yours has me craving it.
SO, I am a sour cream addict. I keep it on hand and like to top soups, stews, and all sorts of dishes with a dallop of the stuff. I have been reading food blogs for years and have seen how to’s for making your own yogurt, but never creme fraiche (which for my purposes is an equal exchange for sour cream, but actually even more versatile). I started it yesterday and today had some with my soup. Shared on Facebook saying there is no need to ever purchase sour cream again. It’s one of those “Where have you been my whole life??” moments. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Randi Lynne, it’s great to have your testimonial! The thing I like about it especially is that it doesn’t curdle in hot sauces and soups like sour cream sometimes does.
Thanks for posting this! Sometimes this is hard to find in my local grocer so now I know I can just make it myself.
I love to make creme fraiche this way. It’s crazy how expensive it is here. My daughter lives in London and creme fraiche is just an every day ingredient there, very inexpensive and ordinary. I think someone is playing a trick on us!
totally cool: this, like always, is very good to know, as my grocery store is hit or miss when it comes to the creme fraiche. Seems as though when i don’t need it, i see it, but when i seek it out as something to purchase, boom; not there. 🙂 so now i have this as a backup, or i can just completely avoid looking altogether thanks to you.