What's in your sour cream?

[JAZ]

I always knew that reduced-fat and fat-free "sour cream" contain various gums and other additives to give them a creamier mouthfeel and firmer texture. But I happened to glance at the ingredients in Publix's regular sour cream and realized that it also has quite a few chemicals added -- modified food starch, carrageenan, guar gum, and locust gum paste among them. Breakstone, on the other hand, contains only milk, cream and enzymes (Breakstone reduced fat has a few more ingredients, but not as many as Publix). It does seem that Breakstone separates a little more, but that's really the only difference I notice. I haven't done a taste test, so I can't say if one or the other has a better texture or flavor.

Anyone else notice odd ingredients in sour cream or yogurt? And anyone know why they're there?

[vice]

Forget cultured products, I can't find regular ol' heavy cream without carageenan in it any more.

[IndyRob]

After going to the fridge...

Store Brand: Cultured Cream, contains less than 1% of: Whey Protein Concentrate, Food Starch-Modified, Sodium Phosphate, Maltodextrin, Cultured Dextrose, Sodium Citrate, Gellan Gum, Carragenan, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Locust Bean Gum, Potassium Sorbate (to preserve freshness)

[andiesenji]

When they began putting mysterious things with unpronounceable names in sour cream, I began making my own. It's easy and the result is a product that is as close to "pure" as I can get, with no mystery inclusions.

[tirgoddess]

O my gosh, I was just checking this out the other day....I usually buy Daisy Light, but purchased the Trader Joe's brand because I was there. Got home, stirred it up, and it just seemed so congealed to me, read the ingredients and threw it out...Daisy Light has cultured cream, skim milk, Vit A Palminate...it is thick and creamy and I won't buy another.

[CaliPoutine]

O my gosh, I was just checking this out the other day....I usually buy Daisy Light, but purchased the Trader Joe's brand because I was there. Got home, stirred it up, and it just seemed so congealed to me, read the ingredients and threw it out...Daisy Light has cultured cream, skim milk, Vit A Palminate...it is thick and creamy and I won't buy another.

I only buy Daisy light or Knudsen light. They both dont have any stablizers, gums, etc. Just milk, cream, salt.

[DanM]

Trader Joes is now selling Simply Fat Free Sour Cream. Only two ingredients. Grade A fat free cultured milk and vitamin A palminate. It needed a good stir, but I really liked it. It has a nice, thick and creamy body.

Dan

[Yajna Patni]

I am with Andi, I make my own.