Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Preparing Clotted cream

andiesenji

By andiesenji
in Cooking

 Share

Recommended Posts

andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted

Preparing clotted cream is not difficult, but it does take time. Also one needs to have a source for cream that is not ultra-pasteurized or homogenized. It must be pasteurized, however.

This starts with 2 quarts of manufacturer's cream.

After one hour over very low heat it looks like this:

gallery_17399_60_6048.jpg

gallery_17399_60_72565.jpg

After 4 1/2 hours it looks like this:

gallery_17399_60_43203.jpg

gallery_17399_60_170022.jpg

And it has another 4 hours to go.

more later...

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

After 8 hours over very low heat and 4 hours of setting, this is the final result:

gallery_17399_60_67963.jpg

Lovely clotted cream, no additives, no preservatives.

a close-up view of the thick cream which will become firmer with chilling.

gallery_17399_60_99428.jpg

Now it's time to bake some scones!

The remaining cream has been mixed with non-homogenized milk, the "cream-top" stuff, and will become cheese.

Edited by andiesenji (log)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
How low does the heat have to be?

The very lowest flame on my cooktop and as you can see, I use a diffuser. Mine happens to be copper, but any will work just fine. I only do this when I am going to be at home all day, I will not go out with a gas flame burning.

You do have to use a wide container. I sometimes use a 14 inche calezuela or even the bottom of a tagine. The Copco paella pan is 10 in. wide at the base and is fine for a 2-quart batch.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
eynkiora

eynkiora

Posted
Posted

Could you do this in a really low oven? Do you want low enough heat to not make any bubbles? Or slow bubbles? My crappy apartment stove wont hold a flame lower than medium heat without flickering and going out... :hmmm: And what do you mean by "setting"? Just hanging out? At room temperature?

I'm totally making some.

Bagel?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
Could you do this in a really low oven? Do you want low enough heat to not make any bubbles? Or slow bubbles? My crappy apartment stove wont hold a flame lower than medium heat without flickering and going out... :hmmm: And what do you mean by "setting"? Just hanging out? At room temperature?

I'm totally making some.

No bubbles at all. It should be just warm enough to feel uncomfortable if you briefly dip a finger in it.

I've never tried it in the oven. You might experiment with just a cup and with your oven on the lowest setting, perhaps 175 F.

The clotted "crust" that forms is between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. After skimming this off, you can turn the heat back on and get a secondary clotting if you start with extra heavy cream.

Edited by andiesenji (log)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
Why must the cream be pasteurized? Many of the recipes I've seen specifically call for unpasteurized cream, which I was planning on using if I ever get around to trying this at home.

If you know the source and are sure it is safe, you can use it. I used to use it, however there have been some incidents of lysteria in isolated places so even if I get raw cream or milk, I pasteurize it myself. (I have an automatic pasteurizer.)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
Also one needs to have a source for cream that is not ultra-pasteurized or homogenized.  It must be pasteurized, however.

Anyone have a suggestion on how to go about finding this? I've not been able to find it in our local markets.

Your profile gives no information about your location. Smart & Final carries it. Trader Joe's heavy cream and the "cream top" milk works.

Whole Foods markets also carry "cream-top" milk and Straus Family dairy cream.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...