Crème fraiche in France is more unctuous and more tangy than the product you find in general US supermarkets. It's made from unpasteurized cream so its live 'good' bacteria ferment it naturally to produce its sharper taste. Laws are strict in the U.S. on pasteurization. So here pasteurized sour cream is added to encourage fermentation.

If you can't get hold of the far superior stuff found in Washington area farmers' markets, make your own. It's not difficult. Here are two methods:

Short cut: Shake a cup of whipping cream with 1/2 cup of sour cream, both at room temperature, in a clean lidded jar for about 20 single jerks. Leave it out for 24 hours, giving it a single jerk a couple of times, then store it in the refrigerator for a day before using.

A better version: Over a medium heat, bring to a crisping of bubbles around the edges of the pan 2 cups of a heavy cream that hasn't been submitted to Ultra Heat Treatment. Pour it through a sieve into a glass or china bowl and cool to a tepid point where it feels cooler than a clean finger dipped into it. Put a quarter cup of plain full fat yogurt or buttermilk into a bowl and beat into it a half cup of the cream then stir it back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap that you poke her and there with a fork and allow to thicken at room temperature for 24 hours. It keeps, covered, in the fridge for 7 - 10 days.

Related Information...