How can I thicken heavy cream without changing the flavor?

Question

I am trying to make a thickened heavy cream that would be the same texture as "Creme Fraiche", but have not yet come to a desirable solution. As you guys know Creme Fraiche has a tangy taste similar to Sour Cream which is not what I am looking for. Please advise how I can make thickened heavy cream (not whipped cream) either with any available cultures in the market or individual experiences. Thanks everyone.

There are simple ways to make Creme fraiche at home (just google it) — Max, Jan 16 '17 at 23:17
your right about that ( i thought it was only the sour cream taste0 — Max, Jan 17 '17 at 13:49
If you live in Europe, you can try looking for "double cream" which might suit your needs. If not, @Max's answer suggesting Mascarpone would absolutely get you the results you're looking for. — ChefAndy, Aug 09 '17 at 16:33
@SomeInterwebDev double cream is equivalent to US 'heavy cream' — canardgras, Aug 10 '17 at 09:36
@canardgras US heavy cream is about 35% fat while double cream is about 48% fat. Might be a little thin but they're certainly not equivalent — ChefAndy, Aug 10 '17 at 13:28

score 8 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 16 '17 at 23:43

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There are several ways to thicken without turning it into whipped cream or imparting other flavors:

Boil until reduced to desired thickness (whisk constantly, do not burn which will cause the flavor to change)
Add and incorporate gelatin
Add and incorporate corn starch or flour

Your desired thickness will dictate how long you boil or how much you incorporate.

answered Jan 16 '17 at 23:43

Caleb

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Thanks Caleb. I will try to use the gelatin first and see the result. – Babak Jan 18 '17 at 18:35
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Boiling or heating milk or cream will change the flavour, even if it doesn't burn at all. For that reason I would go with the gelatin option – canardgras Aug 10 '17 at 09:38

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 17 '17 at 13:52

5

I was thinking about that yesterday.

You could mix the cream with a little bit of Mascarpone or any other "Fresh" cheese (like Faisselle)

answered Jan 17 '17 at 13:52

Max

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Absolutely this. Good call. – ChefAndy Aug 09 '17 at 16:31

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 10 '17 at 18:28

You could try making clotted cream. There are a couple of different techniques.

Alton Brown uses a coffee filter to remove some of the water from the cream in his recipe. I haven't tried it, but I think it would preserve the flavor of the cream better than recipes that involve cooking.

A more traditional approach is to bake milk or cream until it thickens. See examples here and here.

How can I thicken heavy cream without changing the flavor?

3 Answers3