Homemade Sour Cream Recipe

Sour cream goes great on several cuisines ranging from Mexican to American and a few others as well ... just call it the jack of all trades! You can use it to slather on top of your potato skins or put it in a ramekin and dunk your quesadilla. Any way you enjoy it, the ingredient is a great way to add flavor and give your food a bit of extra pizzaz. Sour cream from the store is good, but using a homemade version can bring your meal to the next level. This homemade sour cream is incredibly fresh.

Recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge came up with this easy and delicious recipe that pairs well with anything from tacos to baked potatoes. "There are a few things I love about this recipe! First of all, it is so simple and only requires four ingredients," Olayinka raves. "Secondly, it is a great way to use up leftover heavy cream and milk. And finally, it tastes delicious!"

Making homemade sour cream doesn't require many ingredients. You will just need heavy cream, whole milk, lemon, and salt.

Once you have those items, you can get started.

You must take out a mason jar with a lid for this step. Go ahead and add all the ingredients to the jar. This includes heavy cream, whole milk, lemon, and salt. "If you want thinner sour cream, you can add more milk to the recipe. If you want thicker sour cream, add less milk. It's that simple!" Olayinka shares.

"The only special ingredient in this recipe is heavy cream. You could also use whipping cream, but I find that heavy cream works best," Olayinka adds.

Tighten the lid and begin shaking the mason jar until the cream thickens. This shouldn't take more than about two minutes or so. "The only thing to watch out for is making sure the mixture is well combined before letting it sit for 24 hours," Olayinka shares. "If not, the cream may not thicken correctly."

Use either cheesecloth or kitchen paper and place it over the open mason jar. Make sure you find a cool, dark spot for it and let it sit for at least 24 hours. "I think the key step in this recipe is letting the mixture sit for 24 hours," Olayinka shares. "This allows the cream to thicken and develop a sour cream-like texture."

After 24 hours, remove the cheesecloth or paper towel from the top and stir the sour cream mixture. "The mixture is ready when it has thickened to a sour cream-like consistency," Olayinka notes.

You can use this sour cream in any recipe that you usually would. "My favorite way to use this is on top of tacos or enchiladas. It's also great for dipping chips in!" Olayinka raves. Anything left? "This recipe will last in the fridge for up to one week," Olayinka adds.