Cream

What is cream - Are you confused about the different types of cream available?

Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-layer of yellowish fatty component that accumulates at the top surface of un-homogenized milk. This is skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization.

The amount of butterfat contained in the cream will determine how well cream will whip and how stable it will be. Higher fat creams tend to taste better, have a richer texture, and don't curdle as easily when used in cooking.

Chemistry

Cream containing 30% or more butterfat can be mixed with air, and the resulting colloid is roughly double the volume of the original cream as air bubbles are captured into a network of fat droplets. If, however, the whipping is continued, the fat droplets will stick together destroying the colloid and forming butter. Icing sugar is sometimes added to the colloid in order to stiffen the mixture and to reduce the risk of over whipping.

Lower-fat cream (or milk) does not whip well, while higher-fat cream produces more stable foam.

Types of Cream 

The proportion of fat determines both a cream's consistency and its versatility. As the fat content increases, the cream gets thicker and you can do more with it. As a rule the higher the fat content the easier it will be to use, as the fat will holds the liquid elements together. A higher fat cream will therefore be less likely to split or curdle when incorporated with hot ingredients and will also whisk up well to an airy whipped cream.

The real difference between all these kinds of cream have to do with their fat content. It breaks down like this (percents are averages):

Single cream is a richer version of milk, with around 18% fat content. You can use it for pouring or adding to coffee. Single cream will not whip and will curdle if boiled, so it can't be a substitute in recipes that call for whipping or double cream.

Whipping cream has around a 36% fat content, which allows air to be trapped when whipped, roughly doubling the volume. Once whipped, it can be used to top desserts or fill cakes and pastries.

Double cream is the thickest with around a 48% fat content. It makes an ideal pouring cream, such as when serving with fruit, or it can be whipped and piped for decorating desserts. It can also be used to add richness and creaminess to savoury dishes. Extra thick double cream is made by heating then rapidly cooling double cream - this creates a thicker cream.

Soured cream has been treated with lactic acid, which gives it a tangy taste. It has a thick texture but only around an 18% fat content. Use it for making cheesecakes, dips, topping nachos, and in soups - but it cannot be boiled.

Créme fraîche is similar to soured cream but with a milder taste. It is traditionally made from unpasteurised cream that has been left to ferment. It has around a 48% fat, which means it does not curdle when cooked. Serve with fresh fruit and in soups and dips.

Clotted cream has the highest fat percentage of all creams at 55%. It's made by baking double cream until a delicious crust forms on the surface. This silky, butter-coloured cream is a speciality of Devon and Cornwall where it is served with scones, butter and jam.

Pasteurized and Ultra-pasteurized cream

Creams will generally be labelled pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized.

Pasteurized cream will provide a better flavour, will whip up fluffier, and will hold up longer.

As ultra-pasteurized whipping cream has been heated to above 280 degrees F to extend its shelf life, it is more temperamental when it comes to whipping. Ultra-Pasteurized Heavy Cream "will not work" if peaks or frothing are required in your recipe.

Store it

Always store fresh cream in the fridge and use within one or two days of purchase. Créme fraîche will keep for 10-14 days in the fridge. Cream with a fat content of more than 35% can be frozen.

Tips and Tricks

Try these tips and tricks and make your cooking easier and delicious….

For Veggies

 

• If putting vegetables in the fridge is like putting them in a coma, wrapping them up tightly in a heavy plastic bag is like suffocating them to death, which you don't want to do. Vegetables need some air to stay fresh, so keep them in bags in which air can circulate.
• Vegetables also spoils very fast if they are peeled off. Peeling causes cellular changes inside the vegetable and they rotten quickly.
• Excess moisture will also age your vegetable, so keep the vegetable unwashed or washed and completely dried, until you're ready to use it.
• Vegetables that have been lying in the refrigerator tend to look dull and lifeless. If you want to make a salad, and need your veggies to look fresh, soak them in cold water with a few drops of lime for about 15 minutes and they will look bright and delicious.
• Mushrooms, which will go rotten faster in plastic bags and should be kept in paper. Do not wash the mushrooms with water. Clean it with a damp cloth.
• Fresh basil/ coriander keep much better and longer at room temperature with the stems in water.
• Keep leafy vegetables (coriander leaves, spinach etc) in a muslin cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.
• After cutting corn off the cob, use the back side of a knife (not the blade side) to scrape the cob again to extract the sweet milk left behind. This milk adds flavour and body to any corn dish.

• When chopping herbs, toss a little salt onto the cutting board; it will keep the herbs from flying around.

• If you want to make crispy potato sabzi, soak the peeled potatoes in cold water for 45 minutes and then use it.

 

For Non vegetarian

 

• While cooking chicken or meat, you should cook it initially over high flame to absorb the juices and then cook it on low flame till it becomes tender.

• For avoiding kebabs to become harder, marinate them for a longer time and also avoid over cooking them.
• For its better effects, mutton should not be of an older animal. Younger one looks pink and has firm texture. If it is red and looks wrinkled, it will be tough.
• When refrigerating fish for your curries, rub some salt and turmeric so that the fish remains fresh and flavourful for longer.

 

For Spices

• If you make your own ginger, garlic and fresh chilli pastes at home, ensure a longer life by adding a tablespoon of hot vegetable cooking oil to them and mixing well. Refrigerate and use as required.

• In most Indian recipes we need onions and that need to be sauté till light brown. To get this done quickly, just sprinkle a good pinch of salt on the onions while browning and they will get done sooner.

• It is a good idea to brown onions in advance and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator to save time while cooking.

• Smash garlic cloves inside a plastic bag with the back of a knife. That way, your cutting board and knife won’t smell.

 

• If poppy seeds are used in grinding, soak it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, if you are grinding it in a blender.

• Store spices in a cool, dark place and not above the stoves. Humidity, light and heat cause spices and herbs to lose their flavours.

 

For Cooking

 

• To make crispier “Pakoda” add a little corn flour and semolina (rava) to the gram flour to make “Pakoda” batter.
• Adding few drops of oil to the rice before cooking it will prevent it from becoming sticky.

• To make softer chapatis, take flour in a bowl, add salt and little oil and use lukewarm water to make dough. Keep it aside for 15 minutes before making the chapatis.

• To make crispier puris, add a little rava to the wheat flour while kneading.

• While boiling milk, always add a little water at the base of the vessel to avoid the milk from sticking at the bottom.

• Immediately after boiling noodles put them in normal cold water to separate them each.

• Whenever curd is to be added to any spices or gravy, it should be beaten well and add gradually.

 

For Frying

• When you deep-fry, hold each piece of food with long tongs as you add it to the oil. Hold it just below the oil’s surface for five seconds before releasing it. This will seal the exterior and stop it from sticking to the pot or the other food.

• When frying, the oil should be in the correct temperature. If it’s too hot, the outside will get browned up too quickly before the inside gets cooked. If it’s not hot enough, the fried food will absorb too much oil before getting cooked.

General

• Slicing cheesecake and other cold desserts is tricky. If you want to make clean slices soak your knife in warm water for a few minutes, then wipe it dry and use to make a clean slice.

• Toasting nuts, rava and dal before cooking with it increases its flavours considerably.

• For best results when you’re baking, leave butter and eggs at room temperature overnight.

• Store raisins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for much longer. Pour very hot water over them if they have become hard, after that drain them immediately, and spread on a paper towel to dry.

• For reviving crystallized honey, place the container in a bowl of hot water until the honey is smooth and runny, 5 to 10 minutes. To prevent crystals from forming again, store the honey in a cool, dry place and avoid moisture.

• To prevent pieces of cut apple or pear from turning black, squeeze a little lemon juice on it.

Olive Oil

What is Olive Oil?

Olive Oil is a fat obtained from the fruit of the Olea europaea (olive tree), a traditional tree crop of them, where whole olives are pressed to produce olive oil. Olive oil is assessed on three criteria – fruitiness, bitterness and pepperiness – the flavour, smell and colour can vary according to its origin.

Olive oil varieties: (ranked from highest to lowest quality) extra-virgin, virgin and pure.

Extra-virgin olive oil is the first pressing of whole olives and is done within a day of harvest. No more than 1% of the oil is free oleic acid which makes the oil taste sharp. It has the most delicate flavour and is of most expensive type. It has strongest overall health benefits and has a very low acidity rate (under 1%) and is best used for dipping or to dress salads – both because its superior flavour is impaired by heat and because it has a low smoking point.

Virgin olive oil comes from virgin oil production only, but is of slightly lower quality, with free acidity of up to 1.5%. Although its taste is good but is little bland these oils have little or no extra-virgin oil in the blend. The standards for virgin olive oil are the same as extra-virgin olive oil; only the free oleic acid can be up to 3% of content, so the quality is not as good.

Pure olive oil is the cheapest olive oil. It is refined to remove its impurities, and blended to improve flavour. Its flavour is quite bland, so it’s not worth using it on salads, but it is good all-purpose cooking oil.

People have been eating olive oil for thousands of years and it is now more popular than ever, thanks to its many proven health benefits and its culinary usefulness. Olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids,Monounsaturated fatty acids are considered a healthy dietary fat, as opposed to saturated fats and Trans fats.

What are the health benefits of olive oil?
Olive oil helps in regulation of cardiovascular system. The study found that people who regularly consume olive oil are much less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (high blood pressure), strokes and high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Depression risk lower with olive oil, as compared to the people using higher with Trans fats. This is because amount of Trans fat consumed is directly related to depression risk – the more they ate, the higher the risk.

Olive oil may reduce breast cancer risk. It protects body against breast cancer. It reduces the growth of tumour cells.

Extra virgin olive oil protects against Alzheimer’s disease. Oleocanthal is a type of natural compound found in extra-virgin olive oil and is known to transfer abnormal Alzheimer’s disease proteins out of the brain.

Extra virgin olive oil helps prevent acute pancreatic, liver protection and inflammation of large intestine.

What are other benefits?

• Olive oil is used in cosmetics, medicine, and soaps.
• It is a good lubricate. It is very useful to use few drops of oil for sticky hinge or creaky knob to stop irritating noise.
• It is also useful if rubbed on the teeth of jacket to get it free.
• Rain boots usually becomes very hard, but if you rub few drops of olive oil it will return the luster of shoes.
• It is a good Moisturizer for body. It is also used as skin scrub.
• It removes eye makeup easily. It is also used to remove paint from hair.