For a wedding buffet, consider a 5 L tub of thick crème fraîche if your recipes really need that much and you can keep it chilled during preparation and service. For a range of recipes, 45 to 50 cl pots let you open containers as needed, but mean more packaging and handling. Also check the texture, use-by date and storage instructions for each product.
If you’re making lots of sauces, toppings or savoury tarts that need thick crème fraîche, a large tub can reduce the number of containers you need. However, the 5 L format from Elle & Vire Professionnel means you’ll need to be able to receive, store and serve it chilled.
45 to 50 cl pots let you divide the crème fraîche between different dishes and open them as needed. Président offers a 45 cl format, while Carrefour, Auchan and E.Leclerc offer 50 cl products.
If you’re choosing between full-fat thick crème fraîche and a lighter version, compare the product description, ingredients and fat content. A lighter version or dairy speciality shouldn’t be treated as interchangeable with the full-fat crème fraîche specified in a recipe.
Work out how much you need for your recipes, then choose a format that suits your chilled storage arrangements and how you plan to use it.
| Criteria | What to check | What matters to shoppers |
|---|---|---|
| Volume and format | Estimate how much your recipes need and how much chilled storage space you have. Distinguish between a 5 L tub and 45 to 50 cl pots. | When I’m preparing lots of recipes, I want enough crème fraîche without needlessly multiplying containers; around 42% of shoppers prioritise the amount they need. |
| Texture and recipe | Check the product description, texture and fat content. If you’re heating the crème fraîche, make sure it’s suitable for that use. | For a variety of sauces and cold dishes, I want to choose the crème fraîche each recipe calls for; around 33% of shoppers prioritise texture and product type. |
| Storage and serving | Check the use-by date, the temperature stated on the packaging and the instructions for use after opening. | If preparation and service take place over an extended period, I need to be able to keep the containers chilled and keep track of when they’re opened; around 25% of shoppers prioritise this above all else. |
A large container means you’ll have a lot to keep chilled once it’s opened. The DGCCRF notes that rising temperatures encourage microbial growth and that chilled products shouldn’t be left out of the fridge for too long.
Before you buy, check how much chilled storage space you have and, if needed, plan to decant the crème fraîche into clean, covered containers. Keep the label information with the product.
Auchan offers, among other products, light thick crème fraîche with 15% fat and full-fat thick crème fraîche with 30% fat. The fact that both have a thick texture doesn’t mean they’ll give the same result in a recipe.
Check the product description, ingredients and fat content. If a recipe calls for full-fat thick crème fraîche, don’t substitute another product without checking that it’s suitable for the dish.
Its Excellence thick crème fraîche, with 35% fat, is available in a 5 L tub for food-service use.
Its full-fat thick crème fraîche, with 30% fat, is available in 20 cl and 45 cl formats.
Carrefour offers full-fat thick crème fraîche with 30% fat in a 50 cl pot.
Auchan offers full-fat thick crème fraîche with 30% fat in a 50 cl pot.
E.Leclerc offers Delisse pots of thick crème fraîche with 30% fat in 20 cl and 50 cl formats.
No. The 5 L tub from Elle & Vire Professionnel is intended for dishes that really do need a large amount of thick crème fraîche. If you’re making a range of recipes or have limited chilled storage space, compare the amount you need with what you can get from several 45 to 50 cl pots.
Follow the storage temperature and use-by date shown on each pack, from purchase through to service. The DGCCRF advises against leaving chilled products out of the fridge for too long, so plan how you’ll keep the crème fraîche chilled until it’s needed.
Not automatically. Check the recipe and the product description before replacing full-fat crème fraîche. Auchan offers thick crème fraîche with 15% and 30% fat, but that difference alone doesn’t tell you how each product will turn out in every dish.
Check the ingredients and allergens listed on the label of each product you buy. Don’t assume that another crème fraîche, even one in a similar format or from a similar brand, has the same ingredients.