Skip the tub at the store and make this two-ingredient, tangy, creamy Sous Vide Crème Fraîche, to top your sweet and savoury dishes.
OK, so I know you can just as easily run to the store and grab a tub, but making Sous Vide Crème Fraîche at home is just so satisfying. In fact, making most things from scratch is extremely gratifying.
It takes me back to my childhood, when my grandparents made most things from scratch, and usually with ingredients that were homegrown. We grow a number of our own vegetables, but our hope is to one day live completely off the land.
Crème Fraîche
Crème fraîche is a French soured/cultured cream, much like sour cream, but with a little more fat and less tang. Unlike sour cream, crème fraîche whips up beautifully and can doesn't curdle when heated.
I love the rich, creamy, mild tang it adds to sweet dishes, like my loaded French toast below - so freaking good! I also love adding a dollop atop fresh fruits or desserts, swirling it into soups, or to enrich sauces. Yummy and aesthetically pleasing!
Why Sous Vide?
Crème fraîche can just as easily be made without sous vide - simply mix the cream and buttermilk or sour cream and allow it to sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Depending on how much the temperature in your room fluctuates, the mixture can go off and has to be discarded. With the sous vide method, the temperature remains consistent throughout the cook.
It takes some time, but it's mostly hands-off and a little shorter than the non-sous vide method.
Non-Dairy Version
I can't always handle dairy and having grown up on coconut milk, I tend to use it in place of cow's milk in my day-to-day. The process is the same, but with coconut cream, citrus (I like lime instead of lemon, as it reminds me of a dessert my grandma makes) and optional salt/sugar.
It works best with coconut cream that does not contain any additives, so check the labelling, or make your own at home - the best! You may need to shake the jar a couple times, if you see signs of separation during the cook.
Now all that is left to do is enjoy!!
Ingredients
Dairy version:
- 200 milliliters 35% whipping cream
- 20 milliliters buttermilk or sour cream
Non-dairy version:
- 200 milliliters coconut cream
- 20 milliliters lime or lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Add water to a heavy-duty pot, attach your immersion cooker and heat water bath to 35ºC/95ºF.
- Add the whipping cream and buttermilk or coconut cream and citrus juice to a canning jar, seal and add to heated water. Cook for 8-12 hours. (I usually check the consistency around the eighth hour and continue cooking up to 12 hours, if needed)
- Remove from water bath when time is up and place on a towel on a counter to cool. While cooling, prepare a water bath (ice and cold water) and submerge the jar to cool further. If cooking in a bag, transfer to the ice bath immediately, as there is no risk of a jar cracking. Transfer to the refrigerator overnight. Enjoy! (this will keep for up to 3 weeks, refrigerated)
Yvonne Kasimbi says
Hey J,
You were sent by God!Saw a recipe for a bluebery tart in a book and it needed creme fraiche and i couldnt find it ANYWHERE in my small town.So,i simply used sour cream but it didnt taste right.Long story short,i was catching up on your blog and saw this...super excited to go home after chirch and try it out.
Thank you so much for sharing this!!!❤❤❤ will share the results on instagram
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
So pleased I could help! Look forward to seeing it on IG!