The Best Sour Cream You've Ever Tasted

I made this yesterday morning and it was ready this morning. It takes about 2 minutes to make and it is silk smooth and delicious.

Sour cream is great in cucumber salad, as a condiment with most soups, and is fabulous with baked potatoes and potato salad.

When making yogurt and sour cream I always use jars that have been washed in the dishwasher fairly recently, air dried and then stored with the lid on. There is a surprising amount of mould spores around any kitchen especially on dish rags and counters, no matter how clean you are. Of course you should be cleaning the dish rags and counters with hot water and dish soap constantly and avoiding cross contamination. According to CBC's Marketplace, using antibacterial products makes no difference at all.

In any case, we want the good healthy bacteria to live and multiply in our food and our gut. According to Beliveau and Gingras in Cooking with Foods that Fight Cancer, the health benefits of fermented milk products are many.

You can also sterilize jars by putting them in a 200 degree F oven for 20 minutes. The lids should be simmered in a pot of boiling water. Of course, the jars should be washed with hot water and soap and rinsed well before sterilizing.

Homemade Sour Cream

Equipment:
1 litre or quart sealer jar and lid

Ingredients:
2 cups (500 ml.) light or heavy cream (half and half or whipping)
3 Tbsp. (100 ml.) cultured or live buttermilk (read the label to make sure it contains live cultures or bacteria)

Instructions:
Pour boiling water over a clean sealer jar (inside and outside) and the lid to sterilize.
Dry carefully with a clean dry tea towel or paper towel and avoid contact with anything in the kitchen.
Pour the cream and buttermilk into the hot jar. If you have any dribbles or spills, use a paper towel or clean tea towel to wipe the jar.
Cover the jar tightly and shake to combine the ingredients.
Keep at room temperature until it reaches the desired thickness and tang --- about 24 hours.
Store in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks.
Throw the sour cream away if mold begins to form on the top.