Cream

Keep cream in the coldest part of your fridge. Heavy cream freezes well; thaw in the fridge and whisk if the texture separates slightly. Once opened, use within a week. Do not leave cream at room temperature for extended periods.

Chill your bowl and beaters before whipping cream—it whips faster and holds peaks better.

For cooking, use heavy cream or double cream; lighter creams may curdle at high heat.

Cream separates naturally in ultra-pasteurized products; stir well before measuring.

Add cream at the end of a hot dish to prevent curdling; temper it by whisking in a little hot liquid first if needed.

For sweetened whipped cream, add sugar and vanilla just before whipping.

Over-whipping cream turns it into butter—stop when stiff peaks just form.

Adding cream to boiling liquid too quickly can cause curdling; always temper or reduce heat.

Using thin, low-fat cream for whipping won't hold peaks no matter how long you beat it.

Forgetting to chill equipment and cream leads to slow, inconsistent whipping.