cream

cream, yellowish component of milk, rich in fat globules, that rises to the surface naturally if milk is allowed to stand; in the dairy industry, cream is separated mechanically (see cream separator). Homogenization of cream reduces the size of the fat globules, and the resulting product is less suitable for whipping.

In the United States, commercially produced cream is graded for use according to the percentage of fat content. Half and half, a mixture of milk and cream, contains from 10.5 to 18 percent butterfat. Light cream, the type commonly served with coffee, generally contains no less than 18 percent butterfat. Medium cream contains from 30 to 36 percent butterfat. A fourth grade called whipping cream, or heavy cream, contains no less than 36 percent butterfat. The grades and standards are slightly different in the United Kingdom. So-called clotted cream, a specialty of Devonshire and Cornwall, is gathered from fresh milk that is allowed to stand for a period and then slowly heated.

Commercial sour cream is made from light cream of from 18 to 20 percent butterfat which, after pasteurization, is inoculated with lactic-acid-producing bacteria. The cream is ripened 14–16 hours at 22 °C (72 °F), then chilled and aged 12–48 hours. The bacterial action thickens the cream into a semisolid and adds a tangy flavor. Sour half-and-half is a similar product made from 10.5 to 18 percent butterfat cream. Crème fraîche is a French product of nearly 40 percent butterfat that is reinoculated with naturally occurring ferments and lactic acid after pasteurization to initiate a “natural” fermentation. Crème fraîche has a nutty rather than sour flavor. It is used in cooking and is often eaten with fruit.