How do you culture sour cream?

You don't "culture" sour cream in the same way you would yogurt or cheese.

Sour cream is made by adding a bacterial culture to pasteurized cream. This culture is typically a mix of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, which ferment lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid. This process gives sour cream its tangy flavor and thick texture.

Here's the process in a nutshell:

1. Pasteurization: Cream is heated to kill off any harmful bacteria.

2. Culturing: The bacterial culture is added to the pasteurized cream.

3. Incubation: The cream is incubated at a controlled temperature (usually around 70-75°F) for several hours, allowing the bacteria to ferment the lactose.

4. Cooling and Packaging: Once the desired sourness and thickness are reached, the sour cream is cooled and packaged for distribution.

You can't easily recreate this process at home. The bacterial cultures needed are not readily available, and maintaining the precise temperatures and sanitation needed for successful fermentation is difficult.

Instead, you can use store-bought sour cream to make dishes like:

* Dip: Combine sour cream with herbs, spices, and chopped vegetables for a delicious dip.

* Sauce: Thicken sour cream with cornstarch or flour and add it to dishes like chicken or fish for a creamy sauce.

* Topping: Spoon sour cream on top of baked potatoes, chili, or tacos for a tangy and creamy addition.

If you're interested in making your own dairy products, you can try culturing yogurt or cheese. There are many recipes and kits available online that can help you get started.