Homemade Crème Fraîche

Thick creme fraiche mounded in a small dish with some flowing off a spoon.

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5 from 1 vote

Tangy, rich, creamy, downright decadent!

Prep Time5

Resting Time2

Total Time2 5

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: French

Servings: cup

Calories: 47kcal

Author: Carolyn Hetke

Ingredients

1 cup 35 % cream See Note 1
1-2 Tbsps kefir See Note 2 for substitutes

Instructions

Mix cream and kefir in a glass container and cover with cheescloth or a tea towel. Allow to stand at room temperature 24-72 hours until desired thickness is achieved. (You can also put in an oven with just the light on to create a 'warm' atmosphere. It will thicken faster like this.)
Drain off separated liquid if any. Reserve liquid to use like buttermilk if desired.
Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Serve chilled and refrigerate any left over.
Will keep in the fridge about 1 week.

Notes

Note 1: Crème Fraîche by definition is a minimum of 20% milkfat. Whipping cream is the easiest to thicken up but you can also blend ½ cup 10% cream with ½ cup 35% cream to get 22.5% MF. at 22% MF it will take a bit longer to thicken.

Note 2: Many recipes say you can use 1 tablespoon of Buttermilk or Sour cream per cup of cream as an acid source. The buttermilk or sour cream must contain live culture so look for organic or live culture references. I had the best results with kefir but be aware it produces a strong, tangy result. Buttermilk or sour cream will produce a more neutral tasting creme fraiche.

Nutrition is per Tablespoon .

Nutrition