On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:29:17 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:09:05 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
> wrote:
>>
>> "Janet" > wrote in message news:
>> >
>> > Heavy cream is available in virtually every supermarket, as is whipping
>> > cream.
>>
>> Not where I Live. I can't recall the last time I've seen "heavy cream" in
>> any of the area markets. Whipping cream is everywhere though.
>
>It doesn't take a huge leap of the imagination to think... hmmm:
>heavy - whipping, maybe they are similar.

True... the tiny bit more fat, if any, is so small it doesn't
matter... unless informed no one can tell the difference. Very few US
stupidmarkets carry heavy cream... most folks won't pay the premium
price for the miniscule difference, if any, the fat content overlaps
with light cream... and cream is highly perishable so has a short
shelf life, unless there is a definite demand stores don't carry it.

cream
n. Upon standing, unhomogenized milk naturally separates into two
layers — a MILK FAT-rich cream on top and almost fat-free (or skimmed)
milk on the bottom. Commercially, the cream is separated from the milk
by centrifugal force. Almost all cream that reaches the market today
has been pasteurized. There are many varieties of cream, all
categorized according to the amount of milk fat in the mixture. Light
cream, also called coffee or table cream, can contain anywhere from 18
to 30 percent fat, but commonly contains 20 percent.

Light whipping cream, the form most commonly available, contains 30 to
36 percent milk fat and sometimes stabilizers and emulsifiers. Heavy
cream, also called heavy whipping cream, is whipping cream with a milk
fat content of between 36 and 40 percent. It's usually only available
in specialty or gourmet markets.

Whipping cream will double in volume when whipped. Half-and-half is a
mixture of equal parts milk and cream, and is 10 to 12 percent milk
fat. Neither half-and-half nor light cream can be whipped.
Ultrapasteurized cream, seen more and more in markets today, has been
briefly heated at temperatures up to 300°F to kill microorganisms that
cause milk products to sour. It has a longer shelf life than regular
cream, but it doesn't whip as well and it has a slight "cooked"
flavor. All other cream is highly perishable and should be kept in the
coldest part of the refrigerator. Pressurized whipped cream, contained
in cans under pressure, is a mixture of cream, sugar, stabilizers,
emulsifiers and gas, such as nitrous oxide. It's not really "whipped"
but, more aptly, expanded by the gas into a puffy form. Aerosol
"dessert toppings," which are usually made with hydrogenated vegetable
oils, have absolutely no cream in them . . . and taste like it. Read
the label — the fat content of real cream mixtures must be indicated
on the product label.
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.