Sour cream

Sour cream
Bowl of chili with sour cream and cheese
Potatoes with sour cream and chili sauce
Mixed berries with sour cream and brown sugar

Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting a regular cream by certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria.[1] The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturally, sours and thickens the cream. Its name stems from the production of lactic acid by bacterial fermentation, which is called souring. The taste of sour cream is only mildly sour.

Contents

Traditional

Sour cream, made out of cream, contains from 18 to 20 percent butterfat–about 14 grams per 4 ounce serving–and gets its characteristic tang from the lactic acid created by the bacteria. Commercially produced sour cream often contains additional thickening agents such as gelatin, rennet, guar and carrageen, as well as acids to artificially sour the product.

Light varieties

Light, or reduced-fat, sour cream contains about 40 percent less butterfat than regular sour cream because it is made from a mixture of milk and cream rather than just cream. Fat-free "sour cream" contains no cream at all, and is made primarily from non-fat milk, modified cornstarch, thickeners and flavoring agents.

Storage

Sour cream is not fully fermented, and as such must be stored under refrigeration. As with other dairy products, it is usually sold with an expiration date stamped on the container, though whether this is a "sell by" a "best by" or a "use by" date varies with local regulation. Food authorities, such as the USDA, advise that sour cream with visible mold should be discarded, as it may be contaminated below the surface and could contain dangerous mycotoxins and aflatoxin.[2]

Uses

Sour cream is used primarily in the cuisines of Europe and North America, often as a condiment. It is a traditional topping for baked potatoes, added cold along with chopped fresh chives. It is used as the base for some creamy salad dressings and can also be used in baking, added to the mix for cakes, cookies, American-style biscuits, doughnuts and scones. It can be eaten as a dessert, with fruits or berries and sugar topping. In Central America, crema (a variation of sour cream) is a staple ingredient of a full breakfast.

Sour cream can also provide the base for various forms of dip used for dipping potato chips or crackers, such as onion dip.

In Tex-Mex cuisine, it is often used as a substitute for crema in nachos, burritos, taquitos or guacamole.[3] It is one of the main ingredients in chicken paprikas and beef Stroganoff.

See also

References

  1. ^ "What is sour cream. Sour cream for cooking recipes". Homecooking.about.com. 2010-06-14. http://homecooking.about.com/od/milkproducts/a/sourcreamwhatis.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-14. 
  2. ^ "Molds On Food: Are They Dangerous?". Fsis.usda.gov. 2010-03-04. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/molds_on_food/index.asp. Retrieved 2011-09-14. 
  3. ^ Lori Alden. "Cook's Thesaurus: Cultured Milk Products". Foodsubs.com. http://www.foodsubs.com/Cultmilk.html. Retrieved 2011-09-14. 

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • sour cream — noun uncount thick cream with a sour flavor …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • sour cream — also .soured cream BrE n [U] cream which has been made thicker by adding a type of ↑bacteria …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • sour cream — sour′ cream n. coo cream soured by the lactic acid produced by a ferment • Etymology: 1815–25, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • sour cream — ► NOUN ▪ cream deliberately fermented by adding certain bacteria …   English terms dictionary

  • sour cream — n. cream soured and thickened naturally or by adding a lactobacillus culture, for use in cooking, dressings, dips, etc …   English World dictionary

  • sour cream — noun artificially soured light cream • Syn: ↑soured cream • Hypernyms: ↑cream * * * noun : cream soured by the addition of a culture of lactic acid bacteria that produce lactic fermentation * * * cream soured by the lactic acid produced by a… …   Useful english dictionary

  • sour cream — also soured cream N UNCOUNT Sour cream is cream that has been artificially made sour by being mixed with bacteria. It is used in cooking …   English dictionary

  • sour cream — сметана acified cream сметана cultured cream сметана acidified cream сметана jellied cream желированная сметана sour cream culture закваска для сметаны …   English-Russian travelling dictionary

  • Sour cream — Crème aigre Hareng, pommes de terre frites, oignon, et crème aigre …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sour cream — grietinė statusas Aprobuotas sritis pieno produktai apibrėžtis Ne mažesnio kaip 10 proc. riebumo pieno gaminys, gautas rauginant grietinėlę tam tikrais mikroorganizmais, dėl kurių veikimo iki 4,6–4,2 pH sumažėja grietinėlės aktyvusis rūgštingumas …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

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