As you regular readers know, I’ve been storing food and preparing for interesting times for well over 30 years now. For the first half of that time, we stored food just because it was a good idea to be prepared for challenges—normal things we hoped would never happen, like unemployment, disability, or massive medical bills. During the second half, our preparations have expanded as we have increasingly recognized that we are really going to have to live off what we store.
And I was really troubled because I just couldn’t figure out solutions for some of our beloved dairy items, specifically sour cream and cream cheese. I had tried making some from powdered milk years back, and they were utter flops. The dehydrated sour cream and cream cheese powders that I got off Amazon a couple of years ago were dismal failures as well.
I have freeze-dried some sour cream and cream cheese and haven’t really been impressed with the taste. I’m sure they’ll be fine for baking with. But what I really lacked was a way to have good, fresh sour cream and cream cheese.
Earlier this year, I found a Youtube that showed how to make perfect cream cheese, and I’ve shared that information here on the blog. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s not hands-on time, so it’s totally doable.
About two years ago I learned that a can of Media Crema mixed with one tablespoon of vinegar makes a terrific sour cream substitute. That reason alone is why I have a dozen cans of Media Crema downstairs. (I would have more, but Media Crema has been MIA in my local grocery store for months.)
However, Media Crema isn’t just for making sour cream when you can’t get it fresh. Media Crema can be used in a wide variety of dishes. So what exactly is it and how is it used?
Media Crema is a Nestle product that is the shelf-stable equivalent of half-and-half or light cream, ranging between 18 to 30% milk fat. (Yeah, I think there’s a massive difference between 18% and 30%, but that’s the range for half-and-half and light cream.) Unlike sweetened condensed milk which is about 8% milk fat and added sugar, Media Crema contains no added sugar. And in contrast to evaporated milk, which has around 7% milkfat due to the evaporation of water from the milk, Media Crema contains substantially more milkfat. It also costs a bit more than evaporated milk. In grocery stores, it is either found in the Mexican food aisle or close to the other canned milk products.
Media Crema can be used just about anywhere you’d use half-and-half or light whipping cream:
- Homemade ice cream
- Alfredo sauce
- Cream soups
- Beef stroganoff
- Au gratin potatoes
- Macaroni and cheese
- Whipping cream—it will whip right up
- Cucumber salad dressing (1 whole cucumber, ½ cup Media Crema, onion, cilantro, and ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon granules, salt and pepper to taste.)
I think it runs $2.29 per 7.6 ounce can at my local grocery store right now, subject to change at any time, of course. At that price, it’s a bit expensive for everyday use, but we don’t need it every day. Just being able to change up the regular menu a bit and take a break from the usual rice and beans is going to be important.
what kind of shelf life does this have?
ReplyDeleteGood question! I should have included that in the article. The best-by date is usually about one year out. I've used it two years beyond the best-by date without any problems.
DeleteI live in the northwest - Walmart, and several local grocery chains that target the central american population always have that product
ReplyDeleteWe have plenty of Hispanics working the mines here, and yet no Media Crema. :(
DeleteYes, I just found it in my Walmart and we're in southwest Virginia. It was $2.18. For using it as whipped cream, do you add anything before whipping it? I assume that you chill it before whipping. I bought 2 cans so I can give it a try before stocking up.
ReplyDeleteWhether you add anything to it before whipping would depend on your recipe. I don't get quite the volume I would with regular whipping cream, but it's still good, about 50% more than what you start with. (I just wish it were perfectly white.) As with everything, definitely give it a try before stocking up. $2.18 sounds like a pretty good deal. All we have here is a sticker for $2.49 on an empty shelf that stays perpetually empty--not like with other foods where the stockers will rearrange the shelves.
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