Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization.
In un-homogenized milk, the fat rises to the top.
This process is accelerated by using centrifuges.
It is sold in several grades depending on the total butterfat content.
Cream can be dried to a powder for shipment, and contains high levels of saturated fat.
Cream skimmed from milk is called sweet cream.
Cream skimmed from whey, is a by-product of cheese-making.
Whey cream has a lower fat
Cream that is fermented: sour cream, crème fraîche with many culinary uses in sweet, bitter, salty and tangy dishes.
Cream produced by cattle grazing on natural pasture often contains some natural carotenoid pigments derived from the plants they eat
This allows it to have a a slightly yellow tone, hence the name of the yellowish-white color: cream.
Similarly, it is the origin of butter’s yellow color.
Cream from goat’s milk, or from cows fed indoors on grain or grain-based pellets, is white.
Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods: ice cream, many sauces, soups, stews, puddings, custard bases, and cakes.
Whipped cream is served as a topping on ice cream sundaes, milkshakes, eggnog, sweet pies, strawberries, blueberries or peaches. Irish cream is an alcoholic liqueur which blends cream with whiskey, and often honey, wine, or coffee.
Cream, usually light/single cream or half and half, is often added to coffee in the US and Canada.
Cream is categorized by fat content :
Extra light (or ‘lite’)12–12.5%
Light (or ‘lite’)18–20%
Thickened Cream 35–36.5% Cream
Butter is made by churning cream to separate the butterfat and buttermilk.
Whipped cream is made by whisking or mixing air into cream with more than 30% fat, to turn the liquid cream into a soft solid.
Sour cream, is cream (12 to 16% or more milk fat) that has been subjected to a bacterial culture that produces lactic acid (0.5%+), which sours and thickens it.
Crème fraîche (28% milk fat) is slightly soured with bacterial culture, but not as sour or as thick as sour cream.
Clotted cream, is made through a process that starts by slowly heating whole milk to produce a very high-fat (55%) product.