53 Milk Products
Cream
The usual minimum standard for cream is 10% fat content, though it ranges between 10% and 18%. Cream in this range may be sold as half and half, coffee cream, or table cream.
Whipping cream is about 32% to 36% in milk fat content. Cream with 36% or higher is called heavy cream. This percentage of fat is not a mandated standard; much less than this and the cream simply will not whip. For best whipping results, the cream should be 48 to 60 hours old and be cold. A stabilizer, some sugar, and flavour may be added during whipping. Before adding stabilizer, check the ingredients on the carton; some whipping creams nowadays have added agents such as carrageenan, in which case an additional stabilizer may not be necessary.
Canadian cream definitions are similar to those used in the United States, except for that of “light cream.” In Canada, what the U.S. calls light cream is referred to most commonly as half and half. In Canada, “light cream” is low-fat cream, usually with 5% to 6% fat. You can make your own light cream by blending milk with half-and-half.
In Quebec, country cream is sold, which contains 15% milk fat. If you are using a recipe that calls for country cream, you may substitute 18% cream.
If you have recipes from the UK, you might see references to double cream. This is cream with about 48% milk fat, which is not readily available in Canada, except in some specialty stores. Use whipping cream or heavy cream instead.
Table 16 lists some of the common cream types and their uses.
| Name |
Minimum Milk Fat |
Additional Definition | Main Uses |
| Whipping cream | 32% | Heavy cream has at least 36% milk fat | Whips well, can be piped; custards, cream fillings, confectionary products |
| Table cream | 18% | Coffee cream | Added to coffee, poured over puddings, used in sauces |
| Half-and-half | 10%-12% | Cereal cream | Added to coffee; custards and ice cream mixes |
| Light cream | 5%-10% |
Added to coffee
|
Table 16 Cream types and fat content
Buttermilk
There are two methods to produce buttermilk:
- Inoculating milk with a specific culture to sour it
- Churning milk and separating the liquid left over from the butter
The second method is where buttermilk gets its name, but today, most of what is commonly called buttermilk is the first type. Buttermilk has a higher acid content than regular milk (pH of 4.6 compared with milk’s pH of 6.6).
The fermented dairy product known as cultured buttermilk is produced from cow’s milk and has a characteristically sour taste caused by lactic acid bacteria. This variant is made using one of two species of bacteria — either Lactococcus lactis or Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which creates more tartness in certain recipes.
The acid in buttermilk reacts with the sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to produce carbon dioxide, which acts as the leavening agent.
Sour Cream
Sour cream is made from cream soured by adding lactic acids and thickened naturally or by processing. Milk fat content may vary fr