Make crème fraiche in a yogurt maker

SLIGHTLY TANGY, SLIGHTLY SWEET LUXURIOUS CREAM

Crème fraîche (pronounced "krem fresh") is a classic French fermented dairy staple that is a slightly soured, more luxurious version of cream. Outside of Europe, crème fraiche is considered a speciality item and can be expensive and difficult to find. The good news is, it’s cheaper, incredibly easy and satisfying to make at home. The result is a rich, slightly sweet, slightly tangy, unbelievably creamy cream that is versatile and so delicious.

Crème fraiche closely resembles homemade cultured cream (probiotic sour cream) and can be used interchangeably in recipes. We recommend you try both! Traditionally, they are made by adding specific bacterial cultures to raw cream. Crème fraiche uses buttermilk, the by-product of cultured butter, while cultured cream (homemade sour cream) uses yogurt starter culture. The cream is then left to sour at room temperature for about 24-hours. The process may sound daunting. Not to worry, because using a yogurt maker makes the process simple and removes the fermenting guess work and trepidation.  

We recommended you go for the best full-fat, pure cream you can find – (no preservative or thickeners). Old-fashioned buttermilk refers to the whitish liquid that separates when churning butter. Fortunately, it’s available in the supermarket. It’s hard to know how ‘live’ with bacteria store-bought buttermilk is? Read the ingredients to make sure it actually contains ‘cultures’ and does not contain other additives. We used a quarter of a cup of buttermilk to ensure healthy bacteria were present to inoculate the cream. The quantities in our method are not exacting. We don’t think you can go wrong with this one.

PREPARATION

Before you begin, sterilise the glass jar, lid and any utensils you use, in boiling water. The danger of not sterilising is that other bacteria may overpower your culture and affect the outcome of your crème fraiche.

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