Sour cream is a starring ingredient in many recipes from cakes to stroganoff, and can be enjoyed as a topping for potatoes or borscht. If you forget to add a container of sour cream to your cart at the grocery store, you can make your own sour cream with vinegar -- a pantry staple that you might already have on hand.

Add heavy cream to a jar or similar container with a lid, using 1 cup of heavy cream for every cup of sour cream you wish to make.

Pour 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar into the jar for each cup of heavy cream and stir until well combined.

Cover the jar or container with a lid. Leave the mixture out at room temperature for 24 hours. The sour cream won't thicken properly if you set the container in the refrigerator. The acid content prevents the cream from souring.

Store the finished sour cream in your refrigerator for up to 1 week.