Homemade crème fraîche

Crème fraîche, the French version of sour cream, may sound fancy, but it’s a very simple condiment. And, yes, the early Plymouth colonists could have made it, although there is no record of this. Making crème fraîche requires only buttermilk and cream. Francis Cooke, who came to America on the Mayflower in 1620, kept at least one cow, according to Plimoth Plantation historians. The re-creation of his cottage at the living history museum includes a stone-floor milking parlour. His wife, Hester, was a French Huguenot from Lille. She could easily have known how to make crème fraîche. You can, too, by adding two tablespoons of buttermilk to two cups of heavy cream. The acid in the buttermilk will eventually thicken the cream and give it a tangy taste.

Here’s the process: Shake the buttermilk bottle or carton before measuring out your portion. Thoroughly mix two cups of heavy cream with two tablespoons of buttermilk in a medium-sized bowl. (I prefer glass.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature overnight or until the mixture has thickened. You now have crème fraîche. Store it in the refrigerator, where it will continue to thicken and keep for several days.