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what is creme fraiche

post #1 of 13
9/3/08 at 10:27pm
Thread Starter 
pls some1 give me answer,and wat can i replace with?
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post #2 of 13
9/3/08 at 11:21pm
It's similar to sour cream, only not quite as thick or as sour. You can substitute sour cream for it, or stir 1/4 cup of cultured sour cream or buttermilk and letting it sit on the counter for a couple of hours for the culture to take hold then refrigerating.

BDL
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post #3 of 13
9/4/08 at 4:33am
I find a big difference in flavor between creme fraiche and sour cream. The most important difference is that creme fraiche is great to cook with. It breaks down very smoothly while sour cream curdles a little when added to hot food.

You can make your own creme fraiche by adding a tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of buttermilk. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter over night. The next day you have creme fraiche.

Creme fraiche is also available at Whole Foods or specialty stores near the cream cheese section.
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post #4 of 13
9/4/08 at 4:50pm
Take a quart of heavy cream, NOT ultra pasturized, just regular pasturized. Heat it gently on the stove until its 100 degrees or warmer than your finger. Whisk in half a cup of buttermilk or sour cream. Let it sit out out at room temp overnight 8-12 hours. It might look a bit funky the next day but whisk it back to a smooth consistency and refrigerate it. When its cold it should be thinner than sour cream but not runny. Depending on if you use buttermilk or sour cream the taste will vary but should be a mellower version of the parent with the hint of sweetness from the cream. The natural bacteria found in the cream before pasturization is traditionaly just allowed to ferment so using the cultures above give you a close relative of creme fraiche but not the real thing.
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post #5 of 13
9/5/08 at 6:41am
I've always used the ratio of 1/4 cup buttermilk to 1 quart of heavy cream. I whisk the two together thoroughly and leave out in a warm place until thickened. Then, in the fridge it goes. AFter thorough chilling, my end product is usually so thick it is scoop-able. It also whips nicely, first thinning out when you start to whisk and then thickening up. Fantastic in both sweet and savory applications.
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post #6 of 13
9/5/08 at 9:56am
in an absolute pinch, i have also subbed plain yoghurt, but imo the best is the mix of sour cream and buttermilk, letting sit overnight or through the day on the counter..next choice,sour cream and heavy cream.
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post #7 of 13
9/5/08 at 10:36am
When making muffin batter and have no sour cream, butter milk- I have used 4 oz heavy cream
1 oz cream cheese
1 tsp acid either lemon juice or white vinegar.


combine, let sit 10 min and go.
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post #8 of 13
9/5/08 at 11:02am
Another alternate to creme fraiche is the "crema" that is sold in latin american markets...same softer-than-sour cream consistency, and a heck of a lot cheaper!!! :bounce:

Best,

Micki
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post #9 of 13
9/5/08 at 11:15am
It gets a little confusing with the Latin products because Mexican and Central American don't translate exactly. However, as a general rule, crema aka "Mexican Table Cream" is thinner and saltier than creme fraiche, while crema fresa IS creme fraiche. Usually. There's also crema agria which translates linguistically as "sour cream," but from a culinary standpoint is kind of between creme fraiche and sour cream.

I use all of them, and wish I'd mentioned them in my original post. I'd ask if it was a sign of age, but have already forgot what we were talking about. Also, on further inspection I see I suggested 1/4 cup of sour cream or buttermilk without also saying 4 cups of heavy or whipping cream. :blush:

BDL
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post #10 of 13
9/6/08 at 8:48am
imo the 'crema fresca' sold in the stores is super pricey, especially for the size of the jar ..why wouldn't you just make it? takes less time to make than trying to find your shoes and car keys to drive to the store and buy it!..my restaurant and house is 25 miles from town, so driving there for anything isn't usually an option. i haven't heard of using lemon juice or vinegar to make creme fraiche..
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post #11 of 13
9/6/08 at 9:06am
I haven't heard of using lemon juice or vinegar, either. In my experience, you can use either of the two to make a quick and dirty buttermilk/sour milk, but you need the active cultures in real buttermilk to culture a big batch of cream to make creme fraiche.
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post #12 of 13
9/6/08 at 9:38am
Depends on the store. That's one reason I didn't mention it. I didn't want to get into the whole rigamorole for someone who lived somewhere ethnic markets are sparse.

We've got a bunch of Hispanic super markets near us selling at least one brand each of both Central American and Mexican style dairy products, and the prices are very competitive with regular, ol' 'merican sour cream. Plus, you can buy it in bulk from the carnecerias with the "store brand discount." Considering the cost of heavy cream, you don't save much, if at all, by making it yourself. Of course, availability is the joker in the deck.

Across the street at the "regular" chain super markets, even the ones known for aggressive pricing, the same brands of Hispanic dairy are sold, but with much less selection and at a much greater mark up. Not too surprising, because the items are "regionally" priced at the head office. What is surprising is that people buy them.

BDL
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post #13 of 13
9/12/08 at 4:10pm
I've always wondered what creme fraiche was - thought it was just a fancy term for sour cream. Now I am enlightened :)

As for adding greek yoghurt or sour cream to hot foods - try adding a little flour/corn starch into it before putting it in the hot dish - helps it stop going "grainy".
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