Cream, Butter, and Ice Cream
. In order for a product to be labeled as cream, it must contain 18 percent milk fat or more. Light whipping cream must contain at least 30 percent fat, and 36 percent fat is the minimum fat content for heavy whipping cream. Half-and-half, an equal mixture of both milk and cream, must have at least 10.5 percent fat. The various grades of cream are valued for their smooth, thick texture. They are often used in cooking instead of milk, because they are less likely to form a skin when heated and can be whipped into a stiff foam. When chilled cream is churned gently, the fat globules gather together to form butter, leaving buttermilk as the by-product. Butter contains at least 82.5 percent fat. In the past, before the advent of widespread refrigeration, salt was added to butter to retard bacterial spoilage; now salt is added mainly for flavor. Ice cream, a popular frozen dessert, is made of milk, cream, sugar, and flavoring. The mixture is slowly beaten while chilled until it is partially ...