CREAM
Cream is the thick white or pale yellow liquid that naturally rises to the top when milk is left to stand. With a fat content of 20–50%, cream is a luxury dairy product that is often used with desserts or as an ingredient in sweet or savoury dishes. Commercially, cream is produced by spinning milk in a special tank called a centrifuge. This allows the less dense cream component of milk to separate from the denser water component, and so the cream can easily be removed from the top
Cream with a fat content of 35% or higher can be frozen. Low-fat creams (e.g. single cream) are not as suitable for freezing, because they tend to separate and become watery upon thawing.
The difference relates to the milk fat content. The desired milk fat content can be achieved through a separation process called centrifugation. By regulation:
- single cream must contain a minimum of 18% milk fat
- double cream must contain at least 48% milk fat
- whipping cream must have a fat content of 38%
- cooking cream must contain a minimum of 19%.
Clotted cream contains a minimum of 55–60% milk fat. Because of its high fat content and fairly low water content, it has a much thicker consistency than regular cream. To make clotted cream, whole milk is heated and then cooled slowly in shallow trays. The cream rises to the top and forms a thick crusted layer of ‘clots’, which can easily be separated from the skimmed milk portion. Clotted cream is slightly yellow in colour.
Both sour cream and crème fraîche are fermented milk products made from cream. The cream is fermented with bacterial cultures that produce lactic acid. This causes the cream to sour and thicken, giving a smooth, viscous product. Crème fraîche usually has a higher fat content and tends to have a richer, less tangy flavour than sour cream. Thickening agents such as gelatine, guar gum or vegetable enzymes are sometimes added to sour cream, particularly to reduced-fat or ‘light’ varieties, but not commonly to crème fraîche. Both sour cream and crème fraîche are popular for making dips or as an ingredient in soups or sauces.