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sour cream

 

n.
  1. Cream that has soured naturally by the action of lactic-acid bacteria, used in baking certain breads and cakes.
  2. A smooth, thick, artificially soured cream, widely used as an ingredient in soups, salads, and various meat dishes.

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sour cream

sour cream

A cream with a sour flavor. Sour cream is made from pasteurized cream that is fermented using a 
bacterial culture. One can refer to "cultured sour cream" or "soured cream." It has a thick, smooth and even texture.

Buying

Check the use-by date on the package.

Preparing

Sour cream can be made at home by adding 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of buttermilk to 2 cups (500 ml) of fresh cream that is left to sour for at least 24 hr at room temperature, without being touched. It can then be stored in the fridge for 3 days.

Serving Ideas

Sour cream is widely used in German, English, Russian and Polish cuisine; it is used to flavor soups, dips, sauces, stuffed cabbage, goulash, breads and cakes. Smitane sauce, a classic Russian accompaniment to game, and eastern Europe borscht are typical uses. In the United States, baked potato is often served with sour cream. It can be replaced by plain yogurt in most recipes.

Storing

In the fridge: 2-3 weeks.

Cooking

When adding sour cream to hot foods, incorporate it at the end of cooking and heat gently without boiling; otherwise, it may curdle.

Nutritional Information

14% fat18% fat
water78.1%74%
protein0.8 g1.0 g
fat4 g5.2 g
carbohydrates1.2 g1.2 g
cholesterol12 mg12 mg
per 2 tbsp/30 ml
Sour cream is made up of 63.5% saturated fatty acids. The fat in cultured soured cream with 18% fat is made up of 62.7% saturated fatty acids.



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Commercial sour cream contains from 18 to 20 percent fat, and has been treated with a lactic acid culture to add its characteristic tang. Sour cream often contains additional ingredients such as gelatin, rennin and vegetable enzymes. Light sour cream contains about 40 percent less fat than regular sour cream because it's made from half-and-half. There's also a nonfat sour cream, which is thickened with stabilizers. Refrigerate sour cream in its carton for up to a week after the date stamped on the bottom of the container. If any mold forms on the cream's surface, discard it immediately. See also soy sour cream.

Nutritional Values:

The Nutritional Value for: sour cream

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Quantity Energy
(calories)
Carbs
(grams)
Protein
(grams)
Cholesterol
(milligrams)
Weight
(grams)
Fat
(grams)
Saturated Fat
(grams)
1 cup 495 10 7 102 230 48 30
1 tbsp 25 1 0 5 12 3 1.6

Sour cream is cream that has been fermented by the bacteria Streptococcus lactis and Leuconostoc citrovorum. The flavor of cream is a characteristic green/fatty odor profile with a volatile and non-volatile acid and fatty character. See Starter Cultures.

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categories related to 'sour cream'

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Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Sour cream

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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 paprikash and Beef Stroganoff.

See also

References

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wiley Visual Food Lover's Guide. Copyright © 2009 QA International. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Wiley and the Wiley logo are registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.  Read more
Barron's Food Lover's Companion. Food Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Nutritional Values. © 1999-present by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wiley Dictionary of Flavors. Copyright © 2008 by Wiley-Blackwell. Wiley and the Wiley logo are registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.  Read more
Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Sour cream Read more

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