the Argobuilder; Craftsmanship, Adventure, Enjoying Life!
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Live la bonne vie.... homemade crème fraîche.

Link to cheese making home page

Crème Fraîche is a true delight and it is so simple to make, here's how:

Step 1:  Sterilize one or two 1 pint mason jars, depending on how much crème fraîche you want .  You can boil them in water, clean them with a bleach solution, or clean them with Star-San cleaner.

Step 2: Pour heavy cream into each jar, leaving a little head-room as shown below.  If you have a source for raw heavy cream you could try that at your own risk.  Pasteurized heavy cream would be great but is hard to find.  Ultra-Pasteurized Heavy Cream is the norm in grocery stores, and that is what I use.  Ultra pasteurized milk does not work for making cheese, so I was skeptical if it would work for crème fraîche but it did.   I will keep looking, but have so far been unable to locate regular pasteurized heavy cream.
Picture
Pint mason jars, full of heavy cream, to start the process of making crème fraîche.
Step 3:  Gently heat the cream to 85 to 90 degF.  You can use a water bath as shown below, in a pot, similar to pickling.  Don't use high heat.  Stop when the thermometer reads 83 or so and let it slowly rise so it doesn't pass 85 degrees by much.
Picture
Heavy cream warming to 85deg F in a water bath to make crème fraîche
Step 4: Remove from heat, leave in the water bath, and sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of Mesophilic Aroma B Starter culture on the surface of each pint of warmed cream. Let the starter culture (which is a powder) hydrate on the surface of the cream for 5 minutes, then whisk it into the cream by hand.
Picture
Mesophilic Aroma B starter culture. Available from many stores online. I get mine from www.thecheesemaker.com
Step 5: Lightly place the lid on the jar, and let sit at room temperature for 12 hours.
Step 6: Screw the lid on tight and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.  Check it, and if it is nice and thick and can be scooped out with a spoon, it's done!   Store it in the refrigerator. 
homemade crème fraîche
Homemade crème fraîche! Enjoy.
Making crème fraîche
Yummy! Fresh homemade crème fraîche.
Copyright 2016 - 2021 www.argobuilder.com ALL photos and writing are by the Argo Builder and his crew, unless noted otherwise. Contact jason@argobuilder.com to request permission to use any writing or images from this site. Thanks. Use the information at your own risk, please ​make safety your first priority, the author does not claim responsibility for the accuracy ​or inaccuracy of any information on this site
  • Home
  • The Shipyard
    • Building SCAMP "ARGO"
    • Compac 16 Pilothouse
    • Building a Kaholo SUP
    • Making a SUP Paddle
    • Ships' Provisions
    • True Seafaring Tales: Book Reviews
    • Nautical Fiction: Book Reviews
    • Seafaring and Boat Building Reference Books
  • The Woods of Arcady
    • Wisconsin Mushroom Hunting
    • Wisconsin Wildflower Photo Gallery
    • Building a Stone Arch
    • Making Traditional Wooden Skis
  • The Homestead
    • The Merry Blacksmith
    • Making Cheese
    • Making Apple Cider
    • Making Maple Syrup
    • How to Make Pickled Pike
    • Wisconsin Bluegill Fry
    • Making Wooden Spoons by Hand
    • Handmade Wooden Dustpans
    • Making Broom-Corn Brooms
    • Making Horsehair Brushes and Brooms
  • The Muse
    • Poetry
    • Making an Alphorn
  • The Model Maker
    • Making a booknook
    • Krick Alexandra Steam Launch
    • Assembling Miniature Steam Model Clyde Oscillating Steam Engine
    • Ship Model FD 10 Arnanes Fishing Smack Johanna
    • Artesania Latina, Cargo Ship "Capri"
    • Building a Ship in a Bottle
    • 3D Print Workshop
    • 3D Printed Object Gallery
  • Tales of Adventure
    • Sailing from Door County to the UP Michigan
    • Sailing Northern Door County
    • Sailing Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
    • Sailing Lake Huron: St.Ignace, Mackinac Island, Les Cheneaux Islands, St Martin Islands
    • From Manitowoc to Algoma and back on a small boat, 2017