What's the US equivalent of double and single cream?
I can find whipping cream, half and half, and even clotted cream where I'm staying in the US but not double or single cream, are these familiar terms or is there a US equivalent term?
Best Answer
In the UK, single cream is a milk product with at least 18% butterfat. Double cream has 48% butterfat. Neither are common in the US.
If you can find clotted cream, which is 55% fat, then there is a chance of making double cream at home by diluting it. As some clotted creams have a cooked taste, there may be other solutions.
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Quick Answer about "What's the US equivalent of double and single cream?"
Manufacturing cream would be the closest substitute for double cream. It is heavy cream with a minimum of 40% butterfat and is available at Costco and Smart and Final. Sometimes manufacturing cream is labeled 'heavy cream' but the label will say 40% butterfat.What is the American equivalent to double cream?
Double cream is the British term for heavy or whipping cream in the United States, but it is a little thicker than our whipping cream.What is single cream called in USA?
Single cream is a lower fat cream with a fat content of 18-20%. It is sometimes known as "pouring cream" and is mostly used to pour over desserts. In the US there is light cream, which is the closest with a fat content of around 20%.What is single cream vs double cream?
If you're wondering what the difference is between single and double cream, the answer is the fat content. Double cream contains 48% fat, more than double the amount of fat of single cream. As such, it's much heavier (hence its other name of 'heavy cream') and thicker. And, you guessed it, it can be whipped.Can you substitute double cream for single cream?
Choose the best cream Single cream is a richer version of milk, with around 18% fat content. You can use it for pouring or adding to coffee. Single cream will not whip and will curdle if boiled, so it can't be a substitute in recipes that call for whipping or double cream.More answers regarding what's the US equivalent of double and single cream?
Answer 2
In Canada, we have
- Half and Half (10%)
- Table Cream (18%)
- Whipping Cream (35%)
There's also a "Light" cream at about 6%, but that's a newer product.
So I've always taken Half and Half to be "Half cream", Table to be single (roughly 2 x 10%) and Whipping to be double (roughly 2 x 18%)
Answer 3
Here's a link to the US specifications: 21 CFR PART 131—MILK AND CREAM
From there:
- Light Cream (18% or more fat)
- Heavy Cream (36% or more)
- Dry Cream (I've never heard of it, 40% or more)
From the percentages provided by Papin's answer, it looks like:
- U.S. Light Cream is likely Single Cream equivalent
- Some U.S. Heavy Creams may be close to Double Cream
- U.S. Dry Cream, if you can find it, is something to consider
Update, I also learned:
Looking at fat content alone is not enough to compare US v. UK creams. Pasteurization practices are also a large factor. Apparently most (or all?) U.S. heavy cream is processed using Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT), and UHT reportedly yields less flavorful heavy cream than UK double cream.
I read Double Cream, when used as a whipping cream, can be problematic. Apparently, it's higher fat content makes it prone to over-whipping if you don't pay close attention.
Answer 4
It's not exactly a direct answer, but in terms of practicalities, I tend to use Darigold Classic 36% Heavy Whipping Cream as a substitute for double cream in recipes. and I've had a lot of success, where the cream was intended for richness as opposed to thickness.
Answer 5
Manufacturing cream would be the closest substitute for double cream. It is heavy cream with a minimum of 40% butterfat and is available at Costco and Smart and Final. Sometimes manufacturing cream is labeled 'heavy cream' but the label will say 40% butterfat.
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