The Sour Cream Brand We Ranked Number One Packs Bold Flavor With An Even Better Price

Sour cream is a must-have topping that can also serve as the pillar of a variety of recipes. However, with all the brands of sour cream available, it is difficult to choose without trying each one. So, after our reviewer taste-tested several brands of store-bought sour cream, ranking them by taste and texture, one brand stood on top: Aldi's Friendly Farms. You may be surprised that a private-label sour cream brand could be considered the best among a sample that included top names like Fage and Breakstone's, among other store brands. However, there are very compelling reasons that Friendly Farms sour cream was considered the best of the bunch. 

The price of $1.79 for a 16-ounce container makes it a budget-friendly yet high-quality condiment. Friendly Farms sour cream is tangy and delivers on flavor. The tangy flavor is balanced, and our reviewer considered that tangy punch to be desirable in a sour cream, especially one that can be used as a multipurpose ingredient. For comparison, Fage, the number three choice, tasted good but was less tangy and slightly sweet, which might not work in some recipes. We considered texture important, as this quality determines whether sour cream makes a good topping or complements a recipe's consistency. Breakstone, which ranked at the bottom, wasn't creamy enough and was too thin, and its tartness would overpower many dishes.

The right balance of tanginess in sour cream is beneficial, as the acidity enhances the flavor of a recipe's other ingredients while taming overly rich food. Tanginess is one reason why sour cream is the secret ingredient you need for the best mashed potatoes, in addition to making them smooth and creamy. The tangy flavor is created by the sour cream's acidity, which makes it a wonderful marinade to tenderize meats. Friendly Farms sour cream is also moderately thick, making it versatile for numerous applications.

When sour cream is used as a topping, a thick dollop will hold its shape while flavoring spicy chili, tacos, and curries, adding a cooling quality, and the right texture makes it easy to spread in recipes like layered dips or casseroles. For sweet foods, a well-balanced sour cream, such as Friendly Farms, contributes to the moist texture of cakes and sweet breads while developing the tangy flavors. It is a wonderful addition for making banana pudding like a Southern grandma, providing just enough thickness to the pudding's consistency as it complements the sweet flavors of the banana pudding and ingredients like condensed milk and vanilla cookies. There are so many ways to use sour cream, and this Aldi staple will add a touch of panache to your cooking.