understanding cream labels

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Cream is labeled illogically, with names and not numbers representing milk fat within. This ought to clear it up: half-and-half (equal parts milk and cream) has 10.5 to 18 percent milk fat; light cream (a.k.a. table cream) ranges from 18 to 30 percent, but is most often actually 20 percent; whipping cream (a.k.a. light whipping cream) has 30 to 36 percent; and heavy cream (ironically, better for whipped cream than “whipping” cream, though both work) has 36 to 40 percent. Double cream (not widely available in the U.S.) has 42 percent. Oh, and it is awesome.

Filed under: Tip of the Day | Bookmark | Print | Email | 4 Comments

cricket January 10, 2008
1

Thank you for clearing this up! Here in France, the land of dairy product finickiness (What! cheese made with PASTEURIZED milk?! Quelle domage…), there are many creams available, but none seems to whip. The locals depend, inexplicably, on the compressed/canned “whipped cream.” I’d rather forgo the whip entirely and pour the liquid stuff on things personally, but now I can ask for cream that will whip by name, instead of in my pigin toddler “French.” Chantilly, here I come! Thank you Deb!
Laura January 10, 2008
2

Thanks so much! I get so confused!
deb January 10, 2008
3

I honestly had no idea before seeing Martha Stewart talk about this on the show I attended that whipping cream and heavy cream were not the same thing. Most of these tips are recent news-to-me as well!
Pille February 4, 2008
4

In the UK double cream was 48%, if I remember correctly. Which makes converting recipes quite a challenge, as we’ve only got either 35% or 38% whipping cream here in Estonia :)