Crema

By Sam Sifton

Crema
Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Amy Wilson.
Total Time
5 minutes, plus chilling
Rating
4(622)
Comments
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Crema is thinner than sour cream, a little more tangy and slightly salty. You can sometimes find it in stores, but it’s very simple to make at home by combining sour cream with heavy cream and lime juice (you could use buttermilk instead) and allowing it to set up at room temperature for a few hours, until it turns into a kind of liquid velvet. It’s marvelous with fish tacos, as a dressing for hot slaw, or drizzled over roasted carrots or sweet potatoes. Once you start using it, you will use it all the time.

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Ingredients

  • 1cup sour cream
  • 1cup heavy cream
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

211 calories; 22 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 187 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk the sour cream and heavy cream together in a bowl, then add the salt and the lime juice, and whisk again. Cover the bowl, and allow it to sit at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours and ideally overnight. It will thicken nicely. Use right away, or transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
622 user ratings
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Comments

Carrie

How long can I leave this in my fridge? If I make a small batch of slaw but a full batch of crema (to save for a later use), how long will it realistically stay usable?

ADR

Can use buttermilk instead of heavy cream per related article.

Chris

For what it's worth, my last batch remained emulsified for about a week before starting to separate.

DawnN

How long will this keep in the fridge?

Judy

If using buttermilk, sub for sour cream or heavy cream?

Brian

Sour cream

Kris Larsen

The cremas I find at the store are thickened with carrageenan and xanthan gum. While these are fine products I prefer to not have them in yoghurt, buttermilk or sour cream. Plus I like that I can control the salt levels. The store bought crema Salvadoreña is just too salty.

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