Cooking With Cream
by Fred Hoyle
Published on A Food Experience.net on May 30th 2002.
 |
I love cooking with cream. Whether it be a simple sauce made from the browned bits of a pan seared piece of meat, an alfredo pasta sauce, or the rich custard dessert crème brulee. Now I know some of you can feel your arteries start to harden just reading this but remember, everything in moderation is good! When shopping at your local grocer for cream you might find the dairy case filled with three, four, maybe five types of cream so its important to know which of these is best for your day to day needs. First lets take a look at the various types of cream:
| Half-and-Half | A mixture of milk and cream, contains 10 – 18 percent milk fat. Can be used for coffee, cereal, poured over fresh fruit and creamed soups. Half-and-half does not whip. |
| Light Cream | Pretty much the same as half and half, 15 – 20 percent milk fat. |
| Light Whipping Cream (or Whipping Cream) | As the name states, is marketed for making whipped cream, contains 30 –36 percent milk fat. Some whipping creams contain additives such as mono- and diglycerides and carrageenan to fluff the whipped cream and help it maintain its peaks. Manufacturers find it cheaper to blend additives than process a cream with higher fat for creating the stiff, fluffy peaks we like in our whipped cream. |
| Heavy Cream | Contains 36 – 40 percent milk fat. This cream whips denser than whipping cream, it is a must for making pan sauces as it reduces and thickens quicker and smoother than the others. |
If you were to stock one cream type in your refrigerator, I’d recommend heavy cream. It whips as good as any, forms perfect sauces, and in a pinch it can be blended with milk to create half-and-half.
But even heavy creams have their variants based on the type of pasteurization process used. Pasteurization is a heat treatment that kills the microbes responsible for dairy product spoilage. Heavy cream that is labeled ultra-pasteurized is heated from 280 to 300 degrees to extend the product’s shelf life to 60 days. Most of the cream you find in stores today is ultra-pasteurized and typically has the minimum 36 percent milk fat.
On occasion you may find cream labeled only pasteurized (or fresh heavy cream). This cream is heated between 145 and 161 degrees but only has a maximum shelf life of 20 days. So, why would one buy a cream with 20 day shelf life over one with a 60 day self life? Flavor and texture is the answer. The high heat of ultra-pasteurization tends to "cook" the cream flavor. Pasteurized cream maintains a sweeter flavor, and a silkier butter-like texture. Most pasteurized creams contain the maximum 40 percent milk fat which thickens quicker in the pan and is less susceptible to separating, or "breaking" from high heat cooking.
It’s not as common to find a cream that is low temperature pasteurized containing 40 percent milk fat. I recently visited a family-owned dairy still processing raw milk in small batches. The Pittsford Farms Dairy in Pittsford, New York makes and sells the full range of milk products from heavy cream to skim milk plus cream top, the un-homogenized milk where the cream rises to the top of the bottle. Oh, and when I say bottle, I mean glass bottle, because the Pittsford Farms Dairy still sells product in returnable glass containers. In a time when we are inundated with super-stores and chain groceries, the Dairy has not only survived but is thriving. Their plans for expanding the processing operation is needed to fill the demand of both their cash and carry customers and the local chefs who insist on Pittsford Farms Dairy cream for creating sauces.
| See photos of Pittsford Farms Dairy production and unique storefront! |
What makes their product superior is their pasteurization process maintains the natural flavors of the raw milk while destroying the microbes responsible for spoilage. Raw milk is heated to 145 degrees and held at this temperature for 30 minutes before moving on in the bottling process. Thirty minutes is an eternity in modern, high-volume dairies that alternatively flash heat milk at higher temperatures for shorter periods of time. Besides making for a better tasting cream, this process creates a skim milk that customers will swear is a 2 percent milk.
The Pittsford Farms Dairy has been serving their community out of a small, unassuming shop since the early 1900s. Up until 1986 they farmed the cows for their milk but today they buy raw milk from the regional milk cooperative, as it is less expensive without a sacrifice in quality. The business remains family owned and operated. They deliver dairy products to coffee shops and restaurants and sell to consumers via cash and carry. Their storefront is unique in that beyond milk is vast arrays of produce, baked goods, artisnal cheeses, maple syrups, honey, jams, etc… from local producers.
Elsie Hickey has worked behind the counter for 31 years. She has come to know children to be raised on Pittsford Farms Dairy milk who in turn now raise their boys and girls on the same milk. Elsie explains that small children who are barely old enough to speak can taste the difference between their milk and others and consequently refuse to drink anything other than the Dairy’s milk.
Although rare, slow processed pasteurized milk and cream can be found throughout the country. Your best bet is to frequent local farmer’s markets where you might find the products to buy or at least talk to a local cheese producer who can point you to another source.
Read previous articles from AFE.net, click here>>>
