Homemade Sour Cream/Creme Fraiche...using Kefir Grains

Homemade Sour Cream/Creme Fraiche...using Kefir Grains. I made this recipe during the summer months, and have just been able to post it. This summer has been quite busy... so even though I've managed to post recipes... a few of them have been postponed a bit. This is one of them...

I've been using my kefir grains a lot lately...just love the taste of homemade kefir. We'll drink the kefir plain most days... but I also love using the kefir in recipes that call for buttermilk. Since I had finished my milk for making kefir, I needed to sort of store my grains until next time. And just when I was about to put them in the freezer, I remembered that I had some whipping cream in the fridge. I had originally bought it to make something else and never got the chance to use it. But then an idea crossed my mind, why not place the kefir grains in the cream...and experiment:)? What could possibly hurt... I should be able to make some sour cream/creme fraiche, no? The thought to add the kefir grains in the cream actually seemed like a very doable idea to me....

I've made creme fraiche before, and since kefir grains have quite a bit of beneficial bacteria, I knew it would probably work very well. So I ended up making sour cream/creme fraiche... It was super easy to do and the result was oh-so-delicious!

In case you have some kefir grains, and have never tried making homemade sour cream/creme fraiche, then you might want to give this a try. Hope you enjoy...

Note: If interested in making regular Kefir... see my Homemade Kefir

Another idea I thought to share....in case you you don't have heavy cream or want to make a lighter version:

• You can make a thick yoghurt(which can be used as sour cream) by simply draining the kefir. Just make the Homemade Kefir and leave it on the counter for 18 hours or until thickened...then refrigerate for another day until the kefir has thickened a bit more...to an almost yoghurt consistency. Place a clean, thin dish towel in a bowl ( or a couple of coffee filters, or 2 cheese cloths) and pour the kefir on top and allow it to drain naturally... don't press it down. Allow to drain in the fridge for 24 hours ...or until thickened. You'll have quite a bit of whey accumulating, but the drained kefir will be lighter(in calories) than when using heavy cream....and it tastes just as good.
• You can see how to drain yoghurt (except you'll be draining the kefir)... HERE.
• Below is a picture of the drained kefir.

You will need:

1 TBS kefir grains

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a glass jar/container add kefir grains.

2. Pour heavy cream over kefir grains and place lid on top.

3. Let sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours...or until thickened. Remove grains...the grains will have floated to the top... you can just scoop them out when the sour cream has thickened.

4. Refrigerate. It will thicken in the fridge even more.

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Homemade Kefir...and a small glimpse of my Mom's garden.

Homemade Kefir...and a visit to my Mom's garden. Over the July 4th holiday weekend, my husband and I got the chance to visit our folks...a rather quick visit. But I did manage to take a few photos of my parent's backyard...my mom's garden and my dad's trees. This is where I grew up...in the city....yet we still had homegrown fruits and vegetables. Thanks to my mom's passion for gardening and my dad's pruning expertise....We were blessed to have homegrown produce and fruits.

Over the years, some of the trees have changed, but there's still plenty of variety. My folks are getting on in age... but it seems they still manage to take care of the garden. I quickly snapped some photos of the fruit of their labor...didn't exactly catch everything they have, but it's a glimpse.

Everytime I visit, my mom and dad will ask us what we would prefer to eat while there. Sometimes I will ask to have a special childhood meal prepared...other times, it is good old-fashioned Romanian meals. But regardless what we have, it is always prepared with love... lots of it! This time around we enjoyed some homemade Romanian meals...along with garden -fresh tomato salad with onion and cucumber, just-picked corn on the cob, strawberries, raspberries, and freshly squeezed grapefruit and orange juice. Oh, I can't forget my dad's coffee...Turkish style...every morning:).

Even though we didn't stay long, we enjoyed every minute of it! And every time I visit, my mom sends me home with whatever is in season...this time lots of tomatoes(some green so we could have them later when they ripen), cucumbers, dried herbs...and kefir grains.

I thought to share this simple recipe of making kefir at home with active kefir grains. Kefir grains multiply as you use them... so you can easily share some with others....sort of like when you have a sourdough starter. My mom sent me home with a tablespoonful worth of active kefir grains and I instantly made some kefir when I got home...my second batch is ready to be refrigerated. I simply love it...reminds me of the buttermilk I knew when I was a child. Real good. You can read up on kefir and its benefits here. I am sure there are a ton of other sites with useful information. Hope you enjoy...

A glimpse of the backyard:

Grapes, Guava fruit, Raspberries...

Yellow Beans, Cabbage, Beets, Leeks, Onions, ...

Yellow Squash, Japanese Cucumbers,
Bell Peppers, Corn...

Tomatoes... of all kinds....
heirloom varieties, cherry, orange, yellow, etc.

Trees of all sorts...Avocado, Grapefruit, Orange,
Meyer Lemon, Lemon, Mandarin, Cactus, etc...

And flowers...of all kinds.

And then I came home with fresh produce, dried herbs

...and kefir grains.

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Homemade Kefir...using kefir grains. Tastes like the real buttermilk I knew back home...but done with kefir grains. It is slightly thick and creamy, with just the right amount of tartness. Yum!!

You will need: adapted from my Mom

1 TBS active kefir grains

3-4 cups whole milk*

* do not use ULTRA-Pastuerized milk

Directions:

1. In a clean glass container, add the kefir grains...and then pour milk over kefir grains.

2. Place a tight lid on. I used a glass storage container that has a lid with a rubber seal.

3. Allow to sit on the counter for 18-24 hours...or until thick. This depends on the weather and how warm your kitchen is. Taste and verify consistency after 12 hours.

4. Strain the milk and kefir grains through a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate and enjoy. The kefir will thicken a bit more in the fridge.

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