So I asked the internetz a question....
blister pus
Posts: 5,610
....about freezing double cream, yay or nay....
oh, ffs.
Cream is an oil-in-water emulsion containing 35% fat in the form of individual globules.
Because whipping cream is not a homogenized product, the fat globules are the same size as those found in whole milk and are still coated with the native fat globule membrane proteins. When the cream is whipped, not only is air introduced into the system, the shearing action promotes collisions between the fat globules and also damages their protein surface coating. These factors promote the conversion of the individual fat globules into a three dimensional network. The network of fat formed upon whipping gives body to the whipped cream and also helps to retain the air bubbles.
When pure whipping cream is frozen, much of the water in the system is converted to ice crystals. Close association of the fat globules with the ice crystals may physically remove some of the membrane coating from the surface of the globules. Without the membrane coating for protection, the ruptured fat globules can easily merge with other fat globules. As well, conversion of the water to ice concentrates the fat globules, bringing them closer together and increasing the likelihood of interactions. These factors result in a loss of the emulsion structure upon thawing. The thawed cream is therefore separated with the majority of the fat floating on top of the water phase. Because most of the fat is now present in very large particles, the proper fat network cannot be established when the cream is whipped. Without the proper fat network, the cream cannot stabilize the air bubbles and so the amount of air incorporated is much poorer. Although it cannot be used for whipping, the separated cream can be used in products such as "cream soups" where flavour is the critical factor or in products such as ice cream where homogenization is part of the manufacturing process.
oh, ffs.
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