A correlator of QCD interpolating fields for the nucleon is evaluated
in nuclear matter by applying an operator product expansion. All densi
ty dependence is incorporated into the composite operator matrix eleme
nts (condensates) taken in the nuclear matter ground state. The in-med
ium condensates up to dimension five are estimated to first order in t
he nucleon density. The key phenomenological inputs used in determinin
g the quark and gluon condensates up to dimension four are the nucleon
a term, the strangeness content of the nucleon, and quark and gluon d
istribution functions deduced from deep-inelastic scattering experimen
ts. Dimension-five quark and quark-gluon condensates, which give small
contributions to the correlator, are estimated by a variety of techni
ques. Contributions from dimension-six four-quark condensates are also
included in a factorized form.