If you think " crème fraîche " is a fancy manner of saying " false emollient , " you ’re not only wrong . They are bothcultured emollient , which is arduous cream allowed to turn . At a warm room temperature , bacteria turns the milk sugar — a sugar — in the cream , intolactic acid . That ’s where the tang comes from in both crème fraîche and sour ointment .
But they ’re not exactly the same , and there ’s more to it than the fact that one has a French name and one has an English name .
Crème Fraîche
Crème fraîche has a higher fat content , about double what sour cream has . Crème fraîche is about 40 percent fat , which gives it broken sourness and make it more stable . The lower acidity means it can be used on thing likefresh yield afters .
It still has that tang that contrast nicely with the sweet fruit , but it ’s not , you have a go at it , sour . The fat also help keep crème fraîche fromseparating at eminent heating , so it can be add to thing like soup or scrambled bollock while they ’re still falsify on the stove .
Sour Cream
Sour cream , on the other manus is tangier and more liquid . According to theU.S. Food and Drug Administration rules , it has to have at least 18 percent fat in the United States . It has high acidity , which means it can break down gluten in baked good , like cakes or muffin , for a moister texture . But its lower fat content stand for it curdles when bestow to hot solid food . That ’s why we often practice it as a condiment or add it to soup at the last minute , maybe a dollop just before swear out .
Sour cream was first get inEastern Europe . Sour cream is more rough-cut ( and less expensive ) in the United States , where it ’s usually made industrially . Crème fraîche was arise in France , as you probably judge from its name .
They ’re made about thesame way , though there are some slight differences . Start withpasteurized milk , so first bacteria have to be added to the pick . In France , crème fraîche is traditionally made with naturally take place bacteria . American turned pick is also usually inspissate with gelatin orrennin , an enzyme that curdles milk .
you’re able to interchange crème fraîche for sour pick and vice versa , typically as a one - to - one proportion . Just keep in mind the insidious feel differences , and that sour ointment tends to clabber when added to food that ’s cooking .