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April 2006
Updated July 2009

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Cheese-Butter-Yogurt

Crème Fraîche Recipe

Delicious Anytime ~ And Easy To Make

This is Page 1 of a two-page article. Click on the black links below to visit Page 2.

• Page 1: Crème Fraîche Overview
• Page 2: Crème Fraîche Recipe
• Page 2: Fromage Blanc

Overview

Crème fraîche (French for “fresh cream”) is a thickened cream—not as thick as sour cream, more of the consistency of yogurt, which is an appropriate analogy because it is slightly soured with bacterial culture. Originally from Normandy, the dairy heartland of France, today it is used throughout Continental and American cuisines. Sour cream, which is more accessible and less expensive, can be substituted in most recipes; but crème fraîche has advantages: it can be whipped, and it will not curdle when cooked over high heat. In addition, it is usually a bit lighter in body than commercial sour creams, more subtly sour, and overall more elegant.

Crème fraîche is made by inoculating unpasteurized heavy cream with Lactobacillus cultures, letting the bacteria grow until the cream is both soured and thick and then pasteurizing it to stop the process. Thus, authentic crème fraîche cannot be made at home because generally, only pasteurized cream is available to consumers. To add Lactobacillus to pasteurized cream will cause it to spoil instead of sour.

Favorite Uses

Crème fraîche is the ideal addition to sauces and soups because it can be boiled without curdling. Our favorite use is as a topping and garnish. Just a dab helps balance flavors and makes anything more delicious. A few ideas:

Sweet Preparations

• Serve as a side with chocolate cake—the slight tartness is a wonderful counterpoint to the sweet and rich notes of any chocolate dessert
• As a side or topping for any other cake, pie, cobbler, pudding
• With berries, fresh fruit salad, poached fruits or compotes
• With sundaes—more elegant than whipped cream is to top sundaes with a dab of crème fraîche

Savory Preparations

• With caviar and roe on blini or toast points
• On hors d’oeuvres in general
• With smoked salmon and dill
• With new potatoes
• As a plate garnish, topped or circled with snipped chives or lemon zest

Continue To Page 2: Creme Fraîche Recipe

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Recipe

If you can acquire unpasteurized heavy cream, you can let it stand per the directions below to create your own crème fraîche. Otherwise, a version can be produced by adding cultured buttermilk to pasteurized whipping cream.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pasteurized heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions

• Combine ingredients in a glass container. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) from 8 to 24 hours, or until very thick.
• Stir well before covering and refrigerate up to 10 days.

Fromage Blanc

Fromage blanc is a fresh cheese product that is similar to crème fraîche and sour cream in flavor and consistency. It has a similar tang, but with a significantly lower fat and calorie content. Like crème fraîche, it can also be used in cooking without separating. Originating in France, it is now made at fine dairies throughout Europe and the U.S. The one at right, by Vermont Butter & Cheese, is certified kosher (dairy) by KOF-K. Fromage blanc is often eaten with fruit and sugar as a dessert, but it can also be used in cooking without separating.

• Read more about fromage blanc.
• Read our review of Vermont Butter & Cheese, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.
• Buy fromage blanc online.

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