© 2018 by Rob Firing
By now you’ve come across crème fraîche in more than one recipe in this book. It happens to be awesome—a sweet culture that is, essentially, very rich and creamy sour cream. It is available at better food stores, but I use it often enough in sauces and on its own that I make it from scratch on a weekly basis. As it turns out, it’s really easy to do. Homemade crème fraîche is also tastier, and you can control the thickness and consistency by how long you let the culture grow.
To get your first batch going, put 4 heaping tablespoons of cultured organic buttermilk in a 32-oz (1L) mason jar. Fill the rest of the jar with 35% (or higher) organic cream. You might get lucky with non-organic cream, but so many regular brands have been too adulterated with emulsifying gums, filtration, and reassembly processes that the crème fraîche culture won’t develop properly. Same goes for the buttermilk. I’m not sure what commercial buttermilk is made from, but it often isn’t buttermilk (be wary of labels that say “buttermilk flavour”). You need the genuine article here: the milky liquid that is left over from churning cultured butter, which is inoculated with specific bacteria.
Stir to combine. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean cloth or paper towel, and then cover it with cheese cloth or muslin, using the mason ring to secure the cloth. Let it sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 48 hours, until it’s thickened to a spreadable consistency. If it hasn’t, leave it alone a few more hours (and up to a day longer), or not, depending on how thick you like it. Cover it with the snap lid and refrigerate. The culture will stop growing once refrigerated.
When you begin to run low on your crème fraîche, simply grow another batch using 4 or 5 heaping tablespoons of what you have left in a clean jar. A fresh batch should last at least a week in the fridge without changing. I’ve taken mine past two weeks, but as a rule I change it and start a new batch every 7 to 8 days.
Your sauces and soups will thank you. Your pasta will thank you. Your sandwiches will thank you. Your nachos will thank you. Your mashed potatoes—oh yes—they will thank you very, very much.