Maryland

Sour Cream --- What is it?

Frequently labeled cultured sour cream, this modern dairy product is a light cream of custard-like consistency with a characteristic tangy flavor produced by the addition of a culture or lactic acid starter. It is made from fresh sweet cream (with approximately 18-20% milk fat content) which is pasteurized and homogenized. After the culture has been added the cream is allowed to ripen until the desired flavor and consistency have been reached. In these recipes this product is referred to as dairy sour cream so that it is never confused with old-fashioned homemade soured cream.

In many markets a Sour Half and Half is available. This is a comparable product with a lower fat content. Caution: do not substitute sour half and half in baked foods calling for dairy sour cream.

Shopping for Dairy Sour Cream

Sour cream is generally sold in 1/2 pint (1-cup) and pint (2-cup) cartons or containers. It is also available in many commercially prepared dips in which it has been combined with seasonings or added ingredients such as garlic, herbs, blue cheese or bacon.

How to Store Dairy Sour Cream

Keep it clean, cold and covered. Store in original container in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Dairy sour cream should not be frozen. Some prepared dishes made with sour cream may be frozen successfully.

Counting Those Calories

Dairy sour cream is lower in calories than many foods for which it can be substituted. For example:

1 tablespoon dairy sour cream . . . . . . . . . . 30 calories
1 tablespoon mayonnaise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 calories
1 tablespoon French-type dressing . . . . . . . 60 calories

Give Cooking a Gourmet Touch

Versatility is the keynote in cooking with dairy sour cream. It can be used in a wide variety of recipes, from appetizers to desserts, wand it always transforms ordinary foods into gourmet delights. With its thick, creamy smooth texture, sour cream makes a ready-to-use salad dressing, an instant sauce for cooked vegetables or baked potatoes, a topping for desserts or a dip for snack foods. Sour cream is a modern convenience food: economical, nutritious, delicious.

Sour cream is easy to measure. Because of its thick consistency, measure it in the same cups you use for dry ingredients. In baked products, when sour cream is used, use baking soda as all or part of the leavening agent. Combine the baking soda with the other dry ingredients, not with the dairy sour cream.

Tips on Sour Cream Cookery

When cooking with dairy sour cream protect its magic texture, handle it with care. Heat gently, do not boil. Add to other ingredients just before serving. If it does happen to curdle, only the appearance is affected, not the taste. Always fold sour cream into other ingredients carefully, as over-stirring may thin it.

Most dairy sour cream can be whipped. Follow general directions for whipping cream. It will take about 5 minutes. The sour cream will thin out a the beginning of the whipping process, will never become as thick as whipped cream. It will double in volume.

When dairy sour cream is used in dressings or sauces along with vinegar, lemon juice or comparable acid foods, the sour cream may become thin when stirred to mix. Upon storing the product in the refrigerator it will return to its original consistency.

When dairy sour cream is added to condensed canned soups or if flour is added to the sauce to be made with sour cream, the cream will not separate or curdle. Sour cream will enhance the flavor of either soup or sauce.