How to Make Homemade Sour Cream With Just 2 Ingredients - Aman Shanti News

If your refrigerator is anything like mine, half of the space is jam-packed with condiments. Those tubs of miso, sticks of butter, and bottles of salad dressing can add something special to simple weeknight meals. Instead of buying more sour cream from the store, I like to make the tangy, creamy condiment from what I already have on hand. It helps keep my grocery bill in check (something I prioritize as much as flavor when it comes to meal planning), and it avoids food waste.

Commercial cultured sour cream is made by adding lactic acid cultures to heavy cream, giving it a thick texture and tangy flavor. For this homemade recipe, I like to use a ratio of 1 cup heavy cream to 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar. Here’s how to make it.

Why You’ll Love It

It’s a great way to use what you have on hand. If you don’t want to run to the store for a tub of sour cream, you can easily make it with ingredients you may already have at home.

You only need two ingredients. Homemade sour cream requires just two ingredients—heavy cream and an acid, like freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.

Key Ingredients

Lemon juice or white vinegar: You can use either fresh lemon juice or distilled white vinegar here.

Storage Tips

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

What can you substitute for sour cream?

If you don’t have 24 hours to devote to thickening cream on your counter, try one of these other sour cream substitutes.

Plain regular or Greek yogurt. Plain yogurt is an obvious swap for sour cream, given they are both creamy and tangy dairy products. Keep in mind that regular yogurt has a thinner consistency, while Greek yogurt has a texture closer to sour cream.
Cream cheese. Soften cream cheese at room temperature or in the microwave. Then add enough milk or cream to thin it out to your desired consistency. You may also want to add lemon juice or vinegar to boost the acidic flavor.
Mayonnaise. Although mayo isn’t a cultured dairy product, its creamy consistency can be an acceptable substitute in dips and dressings. This substitute works best when mayo is mixed with yogurt or buttermilk.
Buttermilk. When you’re looking for a creamy tang, buttermilk can be just the thing. While it does not have the thickness of sour cream, it is useful for adding the flavor of cultured dairy.
Mexican crema. This is a lightly soured cream that is slightly thinner than sour cream.