Taste-Off: The best sour cream at Bay Area supermarkets — and the duds

There are some divine sour creams in dairy cases at local markets - and there are some ghastly ones. Here's what to buy and what to avoid.

If mayonnaise or plain yogurt aren’t your thing, the key to adding creamy richness to everything from soups to baked goods is a generous spoonful of great quality sour cream.

Delicious enough to eat straight out of the tub, sour cream is silky and buttery, with a delicious tang that instantly elevates sauces, turns potatoes and vegetables into luscious mouthfuls, and bumps up flavor in pancakes and muffins. Not convinced? Think beef stroganoff, onion dip and cheesecake.

It’s no wonder shelves are crowded with colorful tubs of the stuff, now more than ever. But do they all taste the same — or nearly the same? Curious, we cracked open a dozen brands of full fat sour cream, all made from the same basic ingredients. The conclusion: Nearly every brand has its own unique flavor and texture. Some are so irresistibly rich, it’s hard not to scoop up bite after bite. Others are merely meh.

All sour cream is made by adding enzymes to cream or milk and incubating it at 72 degrees, until it becomes thick and develops its characteristic sour flavor. Variations in flavor are due to the source and quality of the milk, the fat content, the type of enzymes and how it’s processed. Sour creams that are made quickly and in large batches tend to be bland. Versions made in smaller batches and allowed to ferment longer often result in more flavorful sour cream.

Great sour cream starts with top-quality milk from carefully bred and fed cattle. The mixture is carefully fermented, until it turns into a silky, tangy mix with a delicate buttermilk-like tang and a long, buttery finish. Bad sour cream is just plain weird, with off flavors that range from sweet to bitter. Insider note: Like butter, great sour creams will vary in taste from season to season, depending on the diet of the cows.

As tasty as the stuff is when fresh, fans of sour cream will be happy to know that while it can last for weeks in the fridge, it can also be frozen. The texture won’t be the same, but with a good stir, it will still be usable.

Here’s the scoop on the sour creams worth eating by the spoonful and the ones to avoid. Nutrition info refers to a 2-tablespoon serving.

Good Culture Organic Sour Cream

This thick, yellow cream is ethereally smooth and coats the palate with earthy hits of buttermilk and nut flavors. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 20 mg sodium. $4.69 for 16 ounces at Whole Foods. (4 stars)

Clover Sonoma Sour Cream

This thick, spreadable sour cream from Petaluma hits the sour note exactly right and has a luscious butter finish. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 15 mg sodium. $2.79 for 8 ounces at Whole Foods. (4 stars)

Straus Family Creamery Organic Sour Cream

Before diving into this this ultra-silky vat of creaminess, know that it delivers an extra-sour kick. The flavor, attributed to a 16-hour vat-set process, would work best in savory dishes. 70 calories, 6 g fat, 10 mg sodium. $6.49 for 16 ounces at Whole Foods. (3½ stars)

365 Organic Sour Cream

Sweet cream and a delicate tang make this a deliciously rich, fresh scoop. This is a great choice for those who want a decidedly less intense sour cream. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 20 mg sodium. $2.99 for 16 ounces at Whole Foods. (3 stars)

Tillamook Cultured Sour Cream

Those who like a mild sour cream may enjoy this mellow, lush sour cream that hails from Oregon. It’s a perfect pick for a dessert topping. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 10 mg sodium. $3.39 for 16 ounces at Raley’s. (3 stars)

Organic Valley Farms Sour Cream

There is a lot to like about this fresh, cream-forward mix, but it turns thin and almost watery at room temperature, and it could use a kick of flavor. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 20 mg sodium. $3.19 for 8 ounces at Whole Foods. (2½ stars)

Daisy Sour Cream

Likely the most popular brand on store shelves, this thick cream from Texas is a fine stand-in when more refined, flavorful sour creams are not within reach. It’s both silky and sour, but lacks layers of flavor. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 15 mg sodium. $2.99 for 16 ounces at Raley’s. (2 stars)

O Organics Sour Cream

Those looking to add calories to food without altering the flavor will be happy with this. It tastes fresh, but has minimal tang. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 20 mg sodium. $2.99 for 16 ounces at Safeway. (1½ stars)

Trader Joe’s Sour Cream

An overwhelming sweet note and minimal bite make for a less than stellar bite. It’s not unappetizing per se, but it doesn’t hit all the notes of a well-made sour cream. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 20 mg sodium. $2.79 for 16 ounces. (1½ stars)

Knudsen Hampshire Sour Cream

Sure, this dense-textured sour cream will do the job, but the flavor is flat, with a hint of bitterness. 60 calories, 6 g fat, 10 mg sodium. $2.50 for 16 ounces at Raley’s. (½ a star)

Green Valley Organic Lactose Free Sour Cream

For those who can’t digest lactose, this thick cream is an OK choice. It scores low because it’s more sweet than sour — it will not work in recipes that need the tang of real sour cream. 60 calories, 6 g fat, 10 mg sodium. $5.79 for 12 ounces at Whole Foods. (½ a star)

Sunnyside Farms Sour Cream

The flavor of old, slightly fruity cream coupled with soupy consistency earn this a big, fat no. 60 calories, 5 g fat, 15 mg sodium. $1.88 for 8 ounces at Raley’s. (No stars)

Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at www.mercurynews.com/tag/taste-off.