Should You Make Homemade Sour Cream With Vinegar Or Lemon Juice?

Whether you're planning tomorrow's taco, potato, or chili topping that you forgot at the supermarket or grocery store, or you're just really committed to cooking from scratch, plenty of folks have found themselves in search of how to turn their cream sour in a pinch. The sour cream that you buy in tubs at the store is just fermented dairy, which might sound way more scientific than it needs to be. Many people already have a reasonable sour cream base at home, plus the vinegar and lemon juice, conventionally accepted as ingredients for decent dupes. And either can work out just fine when you need them. One just might perform a little differently than the other.

Both lemon juice and vinegar possess the necessary acid to kickstart your cream's fermentation, thickening the liquid and giving it its signature tang in the process. Although you're going to use either in a pretty small quantity versus the dairy, the primary difference in the finish is going to be your final flavor. Now, this might not matter as much on something like your flavor-packed, cinnamon-enhanced chili. But there's a better chance you'll pick up notes of whichever acid on that plain, old baked potato. Given the subtleties, however, the best ingredient for your homemade sour cream is ultimately the one you have on hand.

You will need a cup of heavy cream and a tablespoon of acid to make sour cream at home. If you are using vinegar, stick to white. Something like apple cider vinegar will also impart its own botanical elements, however faintly. Unless you're aiming to create a new signature blend, sneaking in too many additional flavors will just be confusing. You'll add both to something like a Mason jar or other sturdy, resealable container, give it a vigorous stir to combine, and refrigerate for at least 25 hours to develop sour cream's familiar consistency.

You will follow the same steps if you're using lemon juice, with one brief interlude. If you're squeezing a tablespoon of fresh lemon, you'll want to strain it through something like cheesecloth before adding to the cream. Nobody wants mystery pulp in their condiment, regardless of its provenance. Once it's set, homemade sour cream can last for around two weeks in the refrigerator.