All About Powdered Sour Cream

Most traditional long term food storage calculators do not cover items such as powdered butter, powdered sour cream, etc. These are not considered “life-sustaining” foods but we definitely consider them to be useful additions to any food storage plan. Today we want to cover powdered sour cream to help you decide if it’s something that you would like to add into your supplies and give you a few ideas on how to use it.

What is Powdered Sour Cream?
Sour cream powder is a cream that has had the fat removed and is dehydrated in order to preserve it. It has a shelf life of about 10 years if stored in a sealed can at moderate temperatures.

How Do I Use Powdered Sour Cream?
Powdered sour cream is wonderful for using in recipes. It gives a nice sour cream flavor and adds the creaminess to any recipe that calls for normal sour cream. Since the fat has been removed, it does not reconstitute to a nice thick creamy sour cream that you would use for tacos or nachos. The flavor is not quite right and the consistency isn’t what you are used to.

How Much Powdered Sour Cream Equals Fresh?
Sour cream powder is a cup by cup equivalent. So if you want a cup of sour cream, you would do one cup of the powder and then mix with whatever amount of water you need for your desired consistency.

Will My Recipes Turn Out Differently?
Depending on the brand you use, the directions on the can might yield a thicker or thinner sour cream than you are used to. Just adjust the water content to get it the consistency you desire and your recipes should turn out the same!

Is Powdered Sour Cream More Expensive than Fresh?
There are about 13 cups in a #10 can. Thrive Life sour cream is currently $23.99 making it just under $2 per cup which is more expensive than grocery store sour cream where we live.

What Are Some Recipes I Can Try?
Here are a few recipes we’ve tried that turn out great with powdered sour cream:
Poppyseed Chicken
Ritzy Potatoes
Homemade Ranch Dressing/Dip

Where Can I Buy Powdered Sour Cream?
Here are links to three of our favorite sources for all food storage items including sour cream powder!