Freeze Cream

While cream is usually best fresh, there may be times when you need to freeze it for longer keeping. It's possible to freeze it well and to reconstitute it in a usable way.

Ingredients

All cream frozen must contain at least 40 percent or more butter fat. It won't freeze well below this amount.

Just cream:

  • Leftover cream or cream about to expire (heavy whipping or double cream only)

Sweetened cream:

  • 125ml/1/4 pint of cream (heavy whipping or double cream only)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Whipped cream dollops:

  • Whipped cream (heavy whipping or double cream only)

Steps

Just cream

  1. Pour the cream into a rigid sided container. Cover with a strong plastic bag that seals (in fact, two bags is recommended), to prevent fridge odours from entering.
    • Leave at least 1.5cm/1/2 inch space between the lid and the top of the cream. This allows for expansion when it freezes.
  2. Place in the freezer.

Sweetened cream

This method is useful for baking and desserts; the added sugar also helps preserve the cream slightly better than without it.

  1. Pour the cream into a suitable bowl.
  2. Whip the cream lightly. Only whip until it's just stiff.
  3. Mix through 1 level teaspoon of sugar to the cream. For each 125ml/ 1/4 pint of cream, add another 1 level teaspoon.
  4. Pour the cream into a rigid sided container. Cover with a strong plastic bag that seals (in fact, two bags is recommended), to prevent fridge odours from entering.
    • Leave at least 1.5cm/1/2 inch space between the lid and the top of the cream. This allows for expansion when it freezes.
  5. Place in the freezer.

Whipped cream dollops

These can be useful for adding direct to a cupcake or as a small cake filling. The sweet cream recipe above can also be prepared this way if preferred.

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.
  2. Whip the cream.
  3. Place dollops of the cream onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a thick freezer bag that seals.
  4. Freeze. When frozen, remove and slide into a storage container or bag. To avoid being bumped, a rigid sided container is again best.
  5. Seal and return to the freezer.

Thawing

  1. Just cream: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Or, if the food is bubbling away already, add straight to a cooking dish (such as a soup or stew), as if adding fresh cream and let the heat melt it through. Be aware that the cream will be runny and won't whip after freezing.
  2. Sweet cream: For using as a cake or dessert filling or topping, thaw in the refrigerator overnight first. As with the previous cream, this frozen cream can't be whipped again; unlike that one though, it should keep its already whipped texture suitable for baking or adding to desserts. Plus, you could try combining it with freshly whipped cream to make a filling go further.
  3. Fixing separated cream: Jiggle the cream inside its container (lid on) if you find too much separation has occurred. This can help to reconstitute the cream by mixing the fat solids and water solids back together again.
    • If can also be shaken inside the sealable bag if that's easier.
  4. Whipped cream dollops: Allow to defrost on the kitchen counter (it'll take about 10 minutes). Use exactly as you'd use whipped cream. The dollops should act like whipped cream already divided into small, usable portions.

Tips

  • Cream can be frozen for up to 2 months.
  • Low fat or single cream won't freeze well and will become quite watery.
  • Some people suggest freezing cream in ice cube trays. While this sounds convenient, it will cause the cream to separate more than when it's frozen in one solid mass.

Warnings

  • Frozen cream is never as good as fresh cream. This measure is intended to salvage cream due to expire or be wasted and isn't something you'd do with cream most of the time.
  • Cream will readily take on odors it comes into contact with. If improperly stored, it will taste exactly like the odors it has been exposed to. Which can be fairly unpleasant! Store in an airtight container.
  • It's recommended that you only freeze pasteurized cream.

Things You'll Need

  • Mixing bowl
  • Mixer or egg whisk to beat
  • Rigid sided container, such as a used, clean ice cream container/yogurt container/ricotta cheese container, etc.
  • Plastic bag with seal (suitable for freezing), maybe 2

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Sources and Citations

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