Whipped cream
This article was originally published in May 2011
Spring strawberries are delicious plain, of course. But served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream? Sheer bliss! Here’s a roundup of the whipping creams you’ll find at PCC, with details about what makes each of them stand out.
Pure Éire Dairy
Richard and Jill Smith raise an all-Jersey, organic, 100-percent grass-fed herd of cows in the Columbia Basin, and provide PCC with the most luscious organic milk and cream we’ve tasted. Jersey cattle are one of the world’s oldest breeds and produce decadent, silky dairy.
Dairy from cows raised on certified organic pasture is high in nutrients, including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a beneficial fatty acid that may have cancer-fighting properties and may help inhibit the formation of body fat. Milk from grass-fed cattle contains as much as five times more beneficial CLA than milk from grain-fed cows. The cream is 41 percent butterfat and is vat pasteurized* and non-homogenized, so it retains its creaminess and nutrient-rich fats in their natural form.
Organic Valley
This cooperative of organic dairy farmers — some in Washington state — provides heavy whipping cream that’s 40 percent butterfat. Organic Valley produces two types of heavy cream: one that’s pasteurized using the HTST* method, and another that’s ultra-pasteurized.*
Straus Family Creamery
The Straus family has been farming in Marin County, on the central coast of California, since 1941, when Bill Straus began with 23 dairy cows. Today, this small creamery remains family-owned and is certified organic, providing milk, cream, yogurt, ice cream and butter from its own herd and two neighboring family farms.
Straus’ Cream-Top Whipping Cream has 35 percent butterfat and is pasteurized using the HTST* method. The cows graze on sweet grasses and this healthy diet shines through in the flavor of the dairy. The cream comes in glass bottles and is so rich and thick that butter rests at the top.The only cream that is Non-GMO Project verified.
Natural by Nature
Organic whipped cream from grass-fed cows — in a can! Convenient and delicious. The cream comes from small, family farms.
* Methods of pasteurization
- “Slow” or “Vat” pasteurization means milk is heated slowly in a vat or tank to 145° F for 30 minutes.
- High Temperature Short Time (HTST*, or standard) pasteurization means milk is heated rapidly to at least 161.5° F or higher, for 15 seconds.
- Ultra-pasteurization* means dairy has been heated to a minimum of 280° F for two seconds, then immediately chilled.
HTST and ultra-pasteurized dairy has a longer shelf-life than vat-pasteurized dairy. Vat pasteurization is the gentlest method, thought to “bruise” milk the least.