Cream?

[Midge]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the Single and double Cream is and the Half and Half Cream in the U.S?

Everyone tells me its the same!!!

But I can't understand that as its so obviously not! You know the Single Cream you buy from Asda (or any supermarket) next to the Whipping Cream, Double Cream and Milk.

That Single Cream is much thicker than Half and Half, and smoother and you can't whip it up like whipping Cream. America only has Half and Half, Table Cream (which is basically the same as Half and Half) and Whipping Cream?

Does anyone know what the difference is between Single Cream (u.K) and Half and Half (US

[kathyv]

Here is a blurb from The Cooks Thesaurus. . .

"Cream Varieties:
Creams vary according to the amount of butterfat they have. Lightest of all is half & half, which is half milk, half cream and weighs in with a butterfat content between 10.5 - 18%. It can't be whipped, but it's nice with coffee, or on cereal. Light cream = coffee cream = table cream is richer at 18 - 30% fat, but it still can't be whipped. Light whipping cream = whipping cream (with a butterfat content of 30 - 36%) and heavy cream = heavy whipping cream (with at least 36% fat) are heavy enough to whip, and aren't as prone as lower-fat creams to curdling in sauces. The higher the butterfat content, the less beating is required to get whipped cream. Europeans use even heavier creams, like double cream (with a butterfat content of 42%), extra-thick double cream, and clotted cream = Devonshire cream, which is often spread like butter over scones. Look for clotted cream in large supermarkets, but (perhaps luckily) the double creams are very hard to find. You can buy ultra-pasteurized versions of these creams, but they tend to have a burnt milk taste and don't whip as well. Substitutes: evaporated milk (This is lower in fat, and it's hard to whip. It also has a slight burnt milk taste.) OR yogurt (This tends to curdle in hot sauces or soups, but it works well in cold soups.)"

While you can't whip Half and Half like whipping cream, you can froth it to top espresso drinks. It's also nice to use as pouring cream on pies as it's not as cloying feeling in the mouth. I think we in the US have pasturized the heck out of our dairy products so they don't form the nice spreading creams like you find in the UK. Too bad but worth a trip to sample them there! LOL

[Midge]

Yeah I looked on the back of a Single Cream Carton and it said 18% fat and looked on the back of a Meadow Gold 'Table Cream' in the US and it also said 18% fat. I thought 'COOL I have hit the jack pot here!' But I got it home and it was ALOT weaker, runnier, waterey, not as thick or creamy as British Single Cream at all!!!

I am totally CONFUSSED!!???

I also tried the whipping cream and that was just bubbley, airey, not as creamy and waterey - NOTHING like Double Cream? But it said the same amount of fat as the British Double Cream?

I really am totally confussed!???

[Polwarth]

Maybe the 'guts' of the cream is taken out in the USA?

[kathyv]

I think you are right Polwarth, there is something lacking in our dairy products.

Even our cheeses taste different here, it's really too bad because there are some wonderful flavors we are not allowed to have...All in the name of safe foods?

Midge, if you can get a hold of some raw milk, fresh from Bessy, then you can make your own cream. Let a quart sit in a shallow pan, undisturbed, for 24 hours, then heat it slowly and gently to about 180 degrees F. and hold it there for 1 hour. When the surface forms a thick yellowish wrinkled looking crust, turn it off and allow to cool slowly. When it's cold, skim the cream off the top and use the cream.

I think you can whip it after it's skimmed, I have not tried this as there are no local daries around here and I can't get any raw milk close to home. I keep waiting for a 4-H kid to do a dairy project so I can buy some fresh milk from them but apparently that is out of fashion and they are all raising pigs!

I don't think you are confused, I think even though the butter fat contents are counted as the same, the process of pasturizing and homogoniziong changes it a great deal. I think that's why it behaves different and tastes different in the States. Chemically it's not the same even though the fat content is the same.

[Babz]

bump

[Midge]

Yes I think you are right! Its not really the fat content but the chemicals and stuff they put in them in America that ruins the cream.