Cindi - HappyMamatoThree wrote:
> Today I was looking up a recipes for Potatoes Au Gratin for something
> a bit different and found Creme Fraiche in several recipes. I don't
> have any here and am too dang lazy to go get some so I was checking
> my substitutions. A variety of substitute suggestions in various
> recipes said heavy cream, one said sour cream can be used almost
> interchangeably with craime fraiche, full-fat sour cream or yogurt
> might be acceptable though not perfect , a homemade recipe requires a
> purchased culture or heating cream/buttermilk heated then stored in a
> container at room temp for 24 hours. I realize I should just go buy
> some but after a week of being terrbly ill I am lucky to feel like a
> bit of cooking. So, best substitution? most like creme fraiche? I
> have heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, milk, evaporated milk,
> probably a couple of other things I'm not remembering right now.
> Thanks for any suggestions/guidance.
>
> Cindi

Firstly, forget the cream cheese, milk, and evaporated milk.

Your only real options are heavy cream and sour cream.

It depends what you are going to do with it. Sour cream is most like creme
fraiche in taste, BUT sour cream cannot be boiled: it separates. Creme
fraiche and heavy cream can be boiled. So if you are adding it to something
that may be warmed to at most a simmer, you can use sour cream. If you are
going to boil it, use heavy cream . You can also use some combination of the
two: either sour cream folded into whipped cream (good with fruit as a creme
fraiche substitute), or heavy cream to cook with, with a bit of sour cream
stirred in at the end for a bit of tang.