Key Points
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We asked three chefs and they agreed that Daisy sour cream is their go-to.
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Choose a brand with simple ingredients when you’re shopping for sour cream.
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Use sour cream in dips, as a marinade or when you bake for moist quick breads.
There’s something truly satisfying about a dollop of sour cream, whether it’s placed atop a steaming baked potato or added to your favorite soup for some comforting creaminess. But one look at your grocery store’s dairy aisle and it’s clear there are many different brands of sour cream, each with its own price, ingredients and flavor profile.
So which store-bought brand of sour cream do chefs reach for when they’re doing their weekly grocery shopping? EatingWell chatted with three chefs, who all agreed on the same favorite sour cream: Daisy Brand. Here’s why they picked it, how they use the tangy ingredient, and which brands they’d go with if their top choice wasn’t available.
Chefs’ Favorite Sour Cream Brand
While there are many brands to choose from, the one that topped our chefs’ lists was Daisy Brand sour cream. It’s a widely available pick that chefs love. Chef Rosana Rivera uses sour cream often when cooking Mexican and Latin-inspired dishes. She calls Daisy sour cream her “go-to” brand.
Why Chefs Love Daisy Sour Cream
Tangy & Rich
“For me, a good sour cream needs that balance of tanginess and richness, and Daisy gets it right,” says Rivera. “I especially love the texture: It is thick and creamy rather than loose or watery, so you get a beautiful dollop, but it also performs really well when incorporated into a recipe.”
Chef and cookbook author Priscilla Martel agrees. “There’s a nice tang to Daisy Brand sour cream that comes through in sauces and dressings,” Martel explains.
Thick Texture
It’s the thick, creamy texture of Daisy that Toni Elkhouri, a chef and restaurant owner, likes best. “Daisy has enough body to hold up in a dip or as a topping, but the flavor doesn’t take over the dish,” says Elkhouri. “When I’m choosing sour cream, I look for that balance—a smooth, thick texture and a clean tangy flavor.” Martel chimes in, “It’s thick without being too firm. And there’s a true dairy flavor that I appreciate—one we all look for when topping a baked potato.”
Simple Ingredients
“As a chef, I also appreciate the simplicity of the ingredient list in Daisy,” Rivera adds. “Their regular sour cream is simply cultured cream without added gums, starches, stabilizers, thickeners or preservatives. I think that simplicity comes through in both the flavor and mouthfeel. It tastes clean and fresh, with enough acidity to brighten a dish without overpowering it.”
What Chefs Look For When Choosing Sour Cream
In fact, when shopping for sour cream, our chefs say it’s pretty important to pay attention to the ingredients list, no matter which brand you choose. “You want to avoid any products with additives such as gelatin or gums,” says Martel, adding that Daisy fits the bill perfectly. “Look for a clean label.”
Rivera says the label is definitely the best starting point when choosing a sour cream to take home from the grocery store. “I generally look for a full-fat sour cream with a short ingredient list and as few unnecessary thickeners and stabilizers as possible,” she says. “Then it comes down to texture and flavor: Sour cream should be thick, smooth and creamy, not gummy or excessively watery. Flavor-wise, I want a clean dairy flavor with noticeable acidity. That tang is important because sour cream isn’t just there to add richness. Its acidity helps balance fatty, spicy, salty or very rich foods.”
But Rivera says it’s probably OK if your sour cream appears to have water on top when you first open it. “A little whey separation can happen naturally with cultured dairy and isn’t necessarily an indication of poor quality,” she explains. “But, I don’t want a sour cream that becomes consistently loose and watery once I start using it.”
How Chefs Use Sour Cream
We all love adding a dollop of sour cream to spicy chili or a baked potato, but our chefs shared lots of other ways to enjoy that Daisy Brand sour cream you’ve picked up from the grocery store, both as an ingredient and as a condiment.
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As a condiment: “Mexican- and Latin-inspired food immediately comes to mind: tacos, quesadillas, nachos, chilaquiles, potatoes, soups and anything spicy where that cool acidity creates contrast. I’ll also turn it into a crema by loosening it slightly and adding citrus, herbs, chiles or spices,” shares Rivera.
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To marinate meats: “I use sour cream to marinate poultry and fish, too, and in tandoor-style for high-heat roasting. Sour cream seems to tenderize meat more thoroughly,” adds Martel.
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To finish a meal: “It’s also great as a cool finish for spicy potatoes or grilled chicken,” says Elkhouri. Martel likes adding it as a finishing touch to stews and succotashes.
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When you’re baking: “In baking, sour cream contributes richness, flavor and leavening—the acid in sour cream helps the chemical leaveners make magic,” says Martel. “You can’t make a good spiced pumpkin muffin or fudgy chocolate loaf cake without it.”
Other Sour Cream Picks
If you head to the grocery store and can’t find the Daisy Brand sour cream, do chefs have a few runners-up they’d suggest? Absolutely. “Ultimately, I’m looking for the same things regardless of the brand: full-fat dairy, a clean ingredient list, good acidity and a naturally creamy texture,” Rivera explains. “Sour cream is a simple product, and I tend to prefer brands that allow it to stay that way.”
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Breakstone: “Breakstone sour cream seems to be available in many stores,” says Martel. “They are a recognized brand with a long history. And, because I like Breakstone cottage cheese, I may buy it.”
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Good Culture: Elkhouri suggests Good Culture sour cream, citing its short ingredient list.
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Organic Valley: “If Daisy isn’t available,” says Rivera, “Organic Valley is another brand I really like. It has a nice cultured tang and clean dairy flavor, and I appreciate the quality of the ingredients. The texture is a little different from Daisy, but it still gives me the richness and acidity I’m looking for in a good sour cream.”
Our Expert Take
If you’re on the hunt for the tastiest, simplest store-bought sour cream out there, our chefs recommend picking up Daisy Brand sour cream. Chefs like Daisy because it’s made of simple ingredients and it has a tangy flavor and a great texture. Chefs recommend grabbing a full-fat sour cream and enjoying it in a variety of ways.
Read the original article on EatingWell