Crème Fraîche

Crème Fraîche

Crème Fraîche, is an expensive product when found in stores in India, that is, if you are lucky enough to find it. I don’t see the need to spend ridiculous amounts of money on a product that is so easy to make. Here’s the simplest way to make perfect Crème Fraîche in your own kitchen. Yes, once again, a basic recipe from Kenzy's Kitchen Korner to make life easier for you in the kitchen. Go for it!

Ingredients:

300 mils whipping cream

3 tablespoon fresh thick yogurt or buttermilk

Method:

1. Stir the whipping cream to smoothen it a wee bit and heat it for a couple of minutes till lukewarm (about 40 deg C). Do not overheat it.
2. Take it off the hob and transfer the cream into a glass bowl.
3. Add in the yogurt (or buttermilk). Give it a good stir.
   
   
   
   
4. Cover it loosely with a cling film and allow it to rest for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature (approx 70-75 degrees F / 21-24 degrees C). 
5. Give the whipping cream a very light stir after 24 hours to check the consistency.
   
   
   
6. Uncover it and run a spoon or a whisk through it. It will have thickened considerably.
   
   
   
7. When you lift Crème Fraîche on a spoon it will fall off the spoon in blobs and that will indicate that it's ready to be refrigerated. Refrigerate!
   
    

Chef Notes: 

1. Whipping cream is cream that has 35-40% butterfat content.
2. The taste of Crème Fraîche is tangy. If you want it tangier, leave it covered for a few more hours and then refrigerate.
3. The process of making Crème Fraîche will depend on the climate of the place you live in. The process usually takes 24 to 30 hours in summer but takes longer in the colder months. In winter you may have to keep the cream covered for 72 hours for it to reach the correct consistency. 
4. Give the whipping cream a very light stir every 24 hours to check the consistency. Once it reaches the correct consistency cover with cling film and store in the fridge.
5. Crème Fraîche keeps in the fridge for 7-9 days.
6. Please do not use stale, sour yogurt or buttermilk to make Crème Fraîche.
7. When you refrigerate the Crème Fraîche, the flavor will get tangier.
8. The taste of the Crème Fraîche is tangier than that of sour cream.
9. You can use it as a spread between crepes or spoon a dollop of it over an apple pie. You can thicken sauces by adding it at the end once the sauce is ready. You can also have it on plain toast, with or without jam. It also goes beautifully on crackers with smoked salmon or roast chicken.
10. To make Crème Fraîche Frosting, place the mixing bowl and the whip in the freezer section of your refrigerator for 20-25 minutes. Remove the bowl and the beater from the freezer and beat the Crème Fraîche. You may add a few drops of vanilla essence and sugar to taste (approx 1 tablespoon) and beat till it forms stiff peaks. You can use this for desserts instead of whipped cream.
11. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.