Straus Creamery is one of the main local organic dairies in my area and they've recently released a delicious sour cream that has me over the moon. Creamy, rich and tangy, it has put sour cream, a product I haven't used in a long time, back in my good graces. Why was sour cream off my shopping list for so many years? Read on for a list of what's usually in the commercial brands of sour cream to see where things begin to go wrong.
Most large dairy companies that sell nationwide have to add a lot of stabilizers and preservatives to their products to keep them 'fresh' while being shipped and stored on the shelf of your local supermarket. This means that your average sour cream label can look like this:
Grade A Cultured Cream, Milk, Food Starch-modified, Guar Gum, Sodium Phosphate, Locust Bean Gum, Sodium Citrate, Carrageenan, Dextrose, Potassium Sorbate, Enzymes.Ugh.
By contrast, Straus sour cream is made with organic milk and cream, plus enzymes. That's it! It is made in small batches, using a traditional slow culture process that takes 16 hours. You can buy either full fat or low fat versions (I prefer full fat) and best of all, it doesn't break when heated, so it's a great addition to stroganoff or paprikash.
Commercial sour creams also lack a certain depth of flavor. They often taste flat and greasy to me. In comparison, the Straus product is velvety and rich, with a tangy sweetness that allows the complexity of the milk and cream to come through. It's like the difference between velvet that is made with polyester (commercial) and velvet that is made with silk (Straus).
I know this is a product local to the Bay Area but I'm bringing it up today to encourage you to seek out local organic (or nearly organic) dairies in your region. There are many sources for helping you find them, starting with a simple Google search. You can also ask around at your local famers' market or visit a local coop if you have one.
• This list from Eatwild features dozens of smaller dairies all over the US and this list from Cornucopia also rates dairies.
• Straus Sour Cream can be found in many grocery stores in the Bay Area. A delicious recipe for panna cotta using Straus Sour Cream can be found here.
Have you tried this sour cream? Got another great sour cream to recommend?
Related: Help! What to Do with Left Over Sour Cream?
(Image: Straus Family Creamery)
How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Monterey Pitcher fr...
Before & After: Emily Henderson Transforms a Senior's Studio Space
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
My husband, a born and bred San Franciscan, recently discovered Straus organic milk, sold in glass containers. All their dairy products are so good.
I'm pretty happy with Daisy. All that's in it is cultured cream.
I also like Salvadoran style crema, but I have to drive a bit to get to the Mexican markets that carry it.
Although it's not exactly local, we get Straus down in Southern California and I have even seen it in Texas!
I like Clover Sour Cream as well.
But oh, the Strauss cottage cheese is wonderful and not distributed in Southern California.
I tried Straus sour cream for the first time a few weeks ago, and it was amazing. I was surprised how much more velvety the texture was, even compared to my until-now favorites, Clover and Daisy. I will definitely be grabbing Straus from now on!
Same goes for real cream cheese. It knocks the socks off of Philly!
We have Tillamook in my area and a while back I noticed a new product - Tillamook Natural sour cream and thought that was pretty cool, just cultured cream and enzymes. And then I thought.... "Wait a second... so what's in the regular stuff?" Yeah, nothing like a company putting out a natural version to make the lightbulb go off!
I like Friendship dairy products, they don't use additives or stabilizers.
I always get Breakstone's, ingredients read: CULTURED PASTEURIZED GRADE A MILK AND CREAM, ENZYMES.
They are owned by Kraft (didn't know that until just now) but that seems to be pretty natural. I love the taste and texture of Breakstone, it's worth the extra $$.
Anyone have a good recipe link for making your own sour cream?
@Lilies - OMG YES! I hate Philly cream cheese with a fiery passion. It tastes so grainy and dull. I always buy store brand (Price Chopper, where I live) cream cheese because it's so much smoother and tangier. Not to mention cheaper.
I always buy local dairy and eggs whenever I can. Even if "local" means a regional dairy. I live in NY and I get milk, eggs, sour cream, and of course ice cream almost exclusively from Stewart's Shops. They support NY farmers, which I like.
Of course sometimes I get eggs from a friend I know who has chickens. That's even better. But eggs are not dairy, so I'm not sure why I keep mentioning them. Lol.
@Nomisirk - I have a yogurt culture that you can use to make sour cream - just use cream instead of milk. It's a culture I bought from Cultures for Health - they have several you can do that with - and there are several other companies online that also sell the cultures for sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, etc.
I live in the northeast and Cabot sour cream is the way to go.
I am lucky to have Straus products I don't eat much dairy but when I do I buy the best. Their milk is so delicious.
I know it's not boutique, local or organic but Kroger sells an all-natural sour cream that is a great buy for families on a budget.
I am in the Bay so I will have to give Straus a try. I also like Daisy which is just cream, no gelatin.