Dairy products

Milk, cream, and butter are among the dairy products used daily in most
bakeshops and pastry kitchens. Customarily, containers and packages are dated
to indicate how long the contents will remain fresh.
When storing dairy products, flavor transfer is a particular concern. Store milk,
cream, and butter away from foods with strong odors. Wrap cheeses carefully,
both to maintain their texture and to prevent their aromas from permeating
other foods.
Milk and cream
The milk sold today is typically forced through an ultrafine mesh at high pressure
to break up the fat globules, dispersing them evenly throughout the milk in the
process known as homogenization. Unless milk is homogenized, it will separate,
allowing the cream to rise to the top as the milk sits. Milk is also pasteurized to
kill bacteria and other harmful organisms by heating it to a specific temperature
for a specific period of time (140F/60C for 30 minutes, or 161F/72C for 15
seconds). Ultra pasteurized milk and cream are heated to at least 280F/138C
for at least 2 seconds, increasing their shelf life for 60 to 90 days.
MILK is labeled according to its milk fat content. Whole milk contains at least 3
percent milk fat. Reduced-fat milk contains 2 percent milk fat, low-fat milk
contains 1 percent, and fat-free milk contains less than 0.1 percent.
CREAM Heavy or whipping cream must contain at least 35 percent milk fat, and
is used for whipping. Light cream has between 16 and 32 percent milk fat, and it
does not whip easily. It is sometimes used instead of milk to add a richer flavor
and creamier texture.
EVAPORATED MILK is whole or fat-free milk that is heated in a vacuum to
remove 60 percent of its water content.
SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK is evaporated milk that has been sweetened.
It is sold in cans of varying sizes.
NONFAT DRY MILK (powdered milk) is made by removing the water from de-
fatted milk. Sold in boxes, it does not contain any milk fat and can be stored at
room temperature.
Fermented and cultured milk products
Buttermilk, crme frache, sour cream, and yogurt are all produced by inoculating
milk or cream with a bacterial strain under precisely controlled conditions. The
reaction of the culture with the milk product thickens the milk or cream and gives
it a pleasant tangy flavor.
BUTTERMILK was traditionally the by-product of churning milk into butter. Most
buttermilk sold today is nonfat milk to which a bacterial strain has been added
and, despite its name, contains only a very small amount of butterfat. Buttermilk
has a thick texture and a slightly sour flavor.
SOUR CREAM is cultured cream with 16 to 22 percent fat. Low-fat and nonfat
versions of sour cream are also available.
YOGURT is a cultured milk product made from whole, low-fat, or nonfat milk; it
may be plain or flavored.
CRME FRACHE is made by adding an acid to cream that has 30 percent milk
fat. The acid
thickens the cream but does not cause it to ferment, so crme frache has a
sweet flavor. Its high fat content gives it a velvety texture.
CHEDDAR CHEESE is a dry semifirm cheese made from cows milk. During
manufacture it undergoes a cheddaring process where the curds are piled and
pressed, which causes the expulsion of whey and allows for the development of
characteristic Cheddar texture. Cheddar cheese originated in England, but is now
commonly made in America and elsewhere.
PARMESAN CHEESE (Parmigiano-Reggiano) is a very hard, crumbly grating
cheese. It gets its special flavor and texture from an extended aging period,
during which it dries and develops an intense pungency.
Butter
The best-quality butter has a sweet flavor, similar to fresh heavy cream; if salt
has been added, it should be barely detectable. The color of butter will vary
depending upon the breed of cow, the diet of the cow, and the time of year, but
is typically a pale yellow.
Both salted and unsalted butter are available. The designation sweet butter
indicates only that the butter is made from sweet cream (as opposed to sour). If
unsalted butter is desired, be sure that the word unsalted appears on the
package.
Old butter takes on a very faintly cheesy flavor and aroma, especially when
heated. As it continues to deteriorate, the flavor and aroma can become quite
pronounced and unpleasant, much like sour or curdled milk.
Grade AA butter has the best flavor, color, aroma, and texture. Grade A butter
also is of excellent quality. All grades of butter must contain a minimum of 80
percent milk fat. Grade B may have a slightly acidic taste, as it can be made
from soured cream.