Ingredients
Sour cream
- 500 mldouble cream, not ultra-pasteurised
- 3 tbspcultured buttermilk or live smetana, as starter
To serve
- borscht and soups
- pelmeni and blini
- with dill
Directions
- Warm the cream to 24°C (75°F) — barely warm to the touch. Smetana is set by a mesophilic culture that works at room temperature, and yoghurt heat destroys it.
- Stir in the starter thoroughly.
- Pour into a clean jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.
- It is ready when it has thickened noticeably and smells cleanly sour. It does most of its thickening in the fridge, so do not wait for it to stand a spoon at this stage.
- Seal and refrigerate at least six hours. The thickest Russian grades will hold a spoon upright, and that comes from the fat level rather than the culturing.
- Never add it straight to a boiling pot. Take the soup off the heat first, or temper it: stir a ladle of hot broth into the smetana, then that mixture back into the pan. Added cold to a boil it splits into grains and whey.
- Spoon into borscht and shchi off the heat, onto pelmeni and blini, or with dill and black bread.
- Keep two spoonfuls back to culture the next batch. It keeps two weeks.
Technique
- Temper it, or take the pot off the heat. This is the mistake that ruins the soup rather than the cream.
- Room temperature culturing, not warm.
- Higher fat gives a thicker smetana that is far less likely to split — 30% or more is worth seeking out.
Substitutions
- Crème fraîche or live sour cream as the starter.
- Single cream for a pourable version, though it splits more readily in heat.
Variations
- The Ukrainian and Polish śmietana are the same cream.
- Whisked with dill and garlic as a sauce for potatoes.
History
Soured cream is the standard finish for Russian soups, dumplings and pancakes, and the thickest grades will stand a spoon.
Frequently asked questions
What is Smetana?
Smetana is a cheese & dairy from Russia: thick sour cream stirred into soups and spooned over everything. Soured cream is the standard finish for Russian soups, dumplings and pancakes, and the thickest grades will stand a spoon.
How long does Smetana take to make?
Smetana takes 10 min plus 24 hours culturing of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 500 ml. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Smetana?
Yes, within limits. Crème fraîche or live sour cream as the starter. Single cream for a pourable version, though it splits more readily in heat.
What is the most important thing to get right in Smetana?
Pour into a clean jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.
