Homemade Sour Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 pint light cream
• 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
• 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk

Method:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Sterilize all the utensils you will be using by submerging them in boiling water for 5 minutes.
3. Pour light cream into the top pan of a double boiler.
4. Add nonfat dry milk powder; mix thoroughly.
5. Pasteurize the mixture by heating it to 180ºF over hot water. Place lid on pan and let mixture stand 30 minutes.
6. Pour mixture into a sterilized 1-quart jar. Cool mixture quickly to room temperature or 70ºF.
7. Add cultured buttermilk. (The cultured buttermilk serves as the starter, which leads to coagulation of the cream.)
8. Allow mixture to stand in a warm (70ºF), quiet place where it will not receive any vibrations until it coagulates and forms a firm curd (solid), about 6 to 12 hours depending on the activity of your “starter” (the cultured buttermilk).
9. Place in refrigerator and cool.

Makes 1¼ cups. Each tablespoon contains 34 calories and 32 milligrams calcium.