5 ways to thicken any cream for cream and desserts

If a hostess likes to make her own confectionery, she knows that she cannot do without cream in most cases. But sometimes it happens that no matter how hard you try, but to turn them when whipping them into a foam, you can not. The problem may lie in the product itself. But there are several additives to help thicken the cream.

What cream to choose for the cream

Choosing the right cream will help to avoid problems when whipping cream:

1. First of all, you need to buy a natural product. Its composition should not contain stabilizers, palm oil, thickeners, dyes, flavor enhancers and other food additives.
2. The fat content of cream should not be low. That is, drinking cream is not suitable for whipping cream. The fat content of the cream should be 33% to 38%. You should pay attention to the inscription "for whipping.
3. Only use fresh whipping cream. Otherwise, the cream may begin to separate. Before you start whipping them, the product must be tasted, since the storage conditions may have been violated at the point of sale.

Important! You can make a good heavy and stable cream only with good quality cream.

How to determine the fat content of cream

Some hostesses do not store dairy products in factory packaging or prefer to buy cream from farms. Because of this, it can be difficult to determine their fat content. You can tell if the cream is suitable for whipping by its appearance:

1. When the product resembles milk and only slightly thicker, its fat content is about 10-15%. This is drinking cream. No matter how hard you try, you can't make cream out of it. It is most often used in beverages and custards.
2. Cream with a 20-25% fat content is thicker. But it is impossible to make a steady cream without special thickeners. They tend to settle quickly and lose their shape. In cooking they are used for sauces and gravies.
3. If the fat content is over 30% the product has more of a sour cream consistency. The high fat content makes the mass dense. This is the kind of cream that is recommended for whipping cream.

Why whipping cream turns liquid

There are several reasons why the whipping milk product becomes liquid.

The first is to check its expiration date. Even if it has not yet come to an end, remember, the more time has passed since the manufacture, the worse they whip, begin to stratify into a thick and liquid components.

Also, sour cream will remain liquid, regardless of the time spent processing it. The only place they can be used is for baking.

If the cream starts to thicken at first and then liquefies, it's probably not whipping properly. Either the process was delayed, or the speed was too high from the beginning. Therefore, the technology of making cream of cream must be followed rigorously.

How to whip cream correctly

For the cream to be well whipped and thickened, it is important to choose the right starting product and to follow some rules in the process itself.

1. Before you proceed directly to the preparation of the cream, the cream must be greatly cooled. You should not put them in the freezer, as in this case the desired result is unlikely to be obtained. It is better to place them on the top shelf of the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.
2. The whisk itself and the container, in which the cream will be whipped, should also be cold. They are kept in the fridge for 50-60 minutes.
3. The bowl, in which the cream will be placed, should be wiped with a dry towel.
4. It is not recommended to whip a lot of cream at once. If a significant amount of cream is required, it is better to divide the milk product into portions of 200-250 ml.
5. In the beginning, start whipping the cream slowly, increasing the speed gradually. The whole process takes 6-8 minutes.
6. The best tool is a regular whisk. It allows the cream to receive a large amount of oxygen while stirring, which makes the mass lush. Hold the whisk at a slight inclination, starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed.

You can also use a mixer. But the device should be taken with a high power. A weaker one is likely to overheat and break quickly.

But a blender is not suitable at all. Even if the device has a whisk attachment, the speed of its work from the first minutes is high. There is a risk of turning the cream into butter.

To make the cream tasty, first whip the cream to medium thickness, and then add cocoa, powdered sugar or other ingredients.

What to add to the cream to thicken it

If you can't get the cream you need and the cream must be made anyway, you can use either a commercial thickener or improvised additives.

Store-made thickener

The main task of store-bought thickener is to give the cream the desired density, so that it retains its shape. Each bag contains 8 grams of powder. This amount is enough for about 250 ml of cream of 20% fat.

The important thing! Do not be alarmed when you read the name "dikrachmalphosphate" in the product. This is just a modified starch.

Using a thickener does not present any difficulties. Chilled milk product begins to whip, and then, after about a minute and a half, add the powder to the cream. Then the process continues until the cream thickens to the desired consistency.

Starch

Starch is one of the components of a purchased thickener. In addition to it, powdered sugar is also included. To be sure the cream will thicken, it is best to use both together. Potato starch is available in almost every kitchen, and powdered sugar can be obtained by grinding granulated sugar in a coffee grinder. These two components are mixed in the proportion of one to two. For 300 ml of cream take three tablespoons of the mixture. Then proceed in the same way as with a purchased thickener. The cream will turn out lush and will not leak.

Food gelatin

Using food gelatin, also strictly adhere to the proportions. Otherwise, in the final version you can get jelly, and if you reduce the dose of the additive, the cream will not thicken. For 300 ml of cream you need 1/2 tsp. of powdered gelatin.

One-third of the cream is poured into a container and pour there the same gelatin. In a quarter of an hour, the additive should swell. After this, the glass with the contents is heated in a water bath. This will allow the powder to dissolve. The mixture should be cooled.

First start beating the rest of the cream, gradually pouring in the mixture with the gelatin. If you use a mixer, increase the speed to maximum. The cream will quickly thicken and hold its shape. It can then be used to decorate the finished pastry.

Lemon juice

It should be borne in mind that adding lemon juice to the cream gives the finished cream a kind of sourness. Therefore, it is very important not to go overboard with it. You will need half a teaspoon of lemon juice per 500 grams of cream. It's better to use freshly squeezed product. After standing in the refrigerator, it loses some of its properties. Add the lemon juice already in the process of whipping a few minutes after the start.

The cream will begin to thicken already after the addition is mixed with the cream.

Powdered sugar

Powdered sugar can also help, but it must be meltable. For 200 grams of milk product, 2 tbsp. of thickener is required. Add them after 1.5-2 minutes after the start. As a result, you should get a cream of the right consistency.