Crème Fraîche

In a tallish, narrow jar or container, stir together the cream and buttermilk and then cover it loosely with plastic wrap.  Place the cream container inside a large container or bowl and fill the surrounding area with hot water, to the height of the cream.  Place this set-up in a warm spot in your kitchen and let it sit for 24 to 48 hours – this won’t take long in the summer.

When it’s set, the cream won’t really move when you jiggle the container and it will have the consistency of sour cream.  Remove it from the water bath, cover it well and chill completely.  There will be liquid whey at the bottom so do NOT stir it when you go to use it, simply spoon it off the top.  This should keep as long as the original ‘best before’ date on the cream.