Organic Sour Cream Starter

Please note that we do not send printed copies of instructions with your purchase. If you would like to have a printed version, you can open a printable PDF by clicking here.

Instructions

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• What to do once your Organic Certified Sour Cream Starter Culture arrives
• What equipment do I need?
• What ingredients do I need?
• Activation Process
• Fermentation Process

What to do once your Organic Certified Sour Cream Starter Culture arrives:

Organic sour cream starters are freeze dried and can be stored at room temperature until the activation date on the back of the packet. If you do not plan to activate the sour cream before that date, it can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 years.

What equipment do I need?

A glass jar and a breathable cover such as a muslin cloth or paper towel.

What ingredients do I need?

• Cream / Milk. We use a 50/50 ratio of single cream and whole milk. You can alter this ratio or not use any milk at all to achieve the thickness you desire.
• Your activated organic sour cream starter culture made during the activation stage.

Activation Process:

To activate the sour cream, boil 150ml of whole pasteurised milk and allow it to cool back to room temperature. We recommend boiling the milk for the activation stage so that any microbes in the milk are killed off, giving the starter the best chance of success, Put the milk into a jar (ideally 1 litre capacity). No cream is required for this stage. Place the sachet of freeze dried sour cream into the milk and cover the jar to stop dust getting in. Do not cut off the airflow completely. A paper towel fastened with a rubber band works well. Leave it at room temperature for 24-72 hours until you notice that the milk has set. Then proceed with the steps listed below.

Fermentation Process:

• Add 500ml of cream / milk at the desired ratio to the jar already containing the activated sour cream from the step listed above. The cream/milk can be cold and straight from the fridge.
• Cover the jar again and leave it at room temperature for 12-48 hours until the sour cream has set. The sour cream is sensitive to temperature. The warmer it is, the faster it will set. During the summer, check the sour cream every 12 hours. During the winter, it can take a couple of days to fully set.
• Once set, place the sour cream in the fridge to cool. The cooling process will help the sour cream to thicken.
  
• Before you eat it, remove some to reculture the next batch. You want roughly one tablespoon of the sour cream per 500ml of milk you wish to culture.
• If you can’t eat all of the sour cream that day, it will keep in the refrigerator for 7 days.
• Ensure you reculture the sour cream at least once every 7 days week to keep it healthy and active.