Dairy
Sour cream
Also called soured cream, smetana
Cream cultured with lactic bacteria until it thickens and turns tangy — soured cream, smetana's supermarket cousin. Borscht, pierogi and pickle dip lean on the cool fat. It is not crème fraîche (milder, more heat-stable) and not yoghurt (thinner, more acid).
Origin
Central and Eastern European pot culture, then a supermarket tub. The tub is what these recipes assume.
Flavour
Tangy, rich, clean when fresh. A stale tub tastes yeasty. Light sour cream is thinner and splits faster.
How it is made
Pasteurised cream is inoculated until the pH drops and the proteins set a soft gel. Some brands add stabilisers; they help a dip and hurt a sauce a little.
How to use it
Stir into borscht or a pan sauce off the heat so it does not split into grains and whey. Full-fat behaves. For pickle dip or a baked potato, use it cold. In waffle batter it adds acid for bicarb — measure, do not dollop. Crème fraîche can take a gentler simmer. Do not boil sour cream to reduce it.
Storage
Fridge, lid clean. A little whey on top is normal — stir it back. Once mouldy, the whole tub goes.
Recipes using it
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