Anyone have a creme fraiche recipe? There is one in Ricki Carroll’s book, but it calls for a “creme fraiche” starter Anyone know what that is? Flora Danica?

A quick one I read is;

“Most people make a facsimile of crème fraîche by adding a tablespoon of buttermilk to a cup of whipping cream, heating it gently to 110°F (45°C), then putting it in a loosely covered bottle in a warm place and letting it sit for anywhere from 8 hours to a couple of days, until thick. Store it in the refrigerator, where it will thicken further, and keep for about three weeks. You can also whip it like whipping cream.”

Thanks, Neil.

I had seen the “1 tbs of buttermilk to 1 cup of (not ultra-pasteurized) heavy cream” recipe a couple of times over the years. So, I’ll use that. I am curious however, about what is in the culture that Ricki sells…

here is waht danlac uses;

Probat 222 LYO
Composition:

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris

Properties:

Fast acidifying culture for the production of cheese, fresh cheese, fermented milk products and sour cream butter. Probat 222 LYO 500 DCU forms lactic acid predominantly of the L(+) type. Due to its fast citrate fermentation, the culture forms a medium aroma (diacetyl) and very fast CO2.

recipe for making creme fraiche
January 21, 2008

Process guidelines for
Créme fraiche
direct inoculation

raw material cream (fat content depending on the laws in the respective country)

homogenisation in two steps at 55 - 60 °C, for maximum firmness
* 15 % fat * 250 bar
* 25 % fat 120 ± 20 bar
* 30 % fat 80 ± 20 bar
* 35 % fat 60 ± 20 bar
* 40 % fat 50 ± 10 bar

*

heating 95 - 105 °C / 2 - 10 min
*

cooling to fermentation temperature (20 - 24 °C)

inoculation: Probat 222 LYO 50 DCU per 500 l process cream

*

set product : stirred product:

*

filling aseptic fermen- (in vat)
tation temperature: 20 - 24 °C
time: 16 - 18 h
to pH: 4.50
* *

fermen- (in cup)
tation temperature: 20 - 24 °C
time to pH 4,80 : 14 - 18 h
(prevention of “whey
separation” by slowly
decreasing the incubation
temperature)

cooling at approx. 4 °C > 24 h
to improve consistency
pH < 4.60
stirring
*
cooling to 8 - 12 °C

*
filling

*
cooling at approx. 4 °C

The data indicated in these process guidelines are empirical values closely connected with the application of our cultures. They should be considered as guidelines only since technological changes may be necessary depending on the quality of milk, technology and desired product composition and properties. Furthermore we cannot guarantee that these process guidelines consider every national law and do not break any patent rights of third parties.

Neil, thanks!

This is the Mesophilic Aromatic Type B culture that you can get from the Dairy Connection.  And, the same as Flora Danica. Probably differ in proportions. That is what I would have suspected. I think I have some coming this week, so I’ll try it out. (As a backup I’ll use cream and buttermilk )

any lactic acid culture is fine, of course meso not thermo