'Real' Whipping Cream!

In the last few months, I have reviewed and renewed my thoughts and thinking process on whipping cream. I felt the difference. My body had spoken. I now use organic whipping cream, the single ingredient crown on many baked or fruity desserts.

Regular whipped cream used to be my decadent topping of choice, in place of icing, the high fat, refined sugar mixture, that is found on cakes, cupcakes and cookies, too. Though I still enjoy a buttercream icing, I know that whipping cream is a 'healthier' alternative on desserts. The body identifies with simple, clean ingredients. One day as I looked at the side panel of my usual carton of real whipping cream I saw the 'LIST'. "Why hadn't I read it before?" More importantly, why would I have to, I reasoned? The ingredient list rattled me to my core and I found myself thinking, “How had real whipping cream morphed into this addled food?” “When did the term real whipping cream change to include other 'approved' additives, I thought?” Had we been consulted?

Whipped cream is the finishing touch for many desserts or the main decadent ingredient, in some recipes, such as coconut cream pie, an incredibly delicious favourite of Momsey's. I now use organic whipping cream whenever whipping cream is called for because it is clean and real, from start to finish. ... In this corner we have real 35% whipping cream with additives carrageenan, mono diglycerides, cellulose gum, polysorbate 80, sodium citrate, disodium phosphate and dextrose. In the other corner we have organic 35% whipping cream with one ingredient called cream. Though costlier than regular whipping cream, organic wins the contest. A little goes along way. In some cases, we are being sold a product masquerading as real whipping cream, that 'interpretive' dance that we believe is a healthy cream, one of many different fats derived from the cow. Regular whipping cream seems to be a product with an ingredient list that defies explanation. The list dispels any notion that the cream is clean. I have learned that the additives in cream are present to help stabilize, thicken or prevent protein separation. (Does real whipping cream not perform these 'acts' as a solo performer?) ... Some additives are industries unto themselves, worth millions of dollars. The buying consumer was not consulted when these additives were included in the 'recipe' called whipping cream?

Using organic whipping cream, whipped to perfection, I noticed the differences instantly: tops, in all categories. Though some of the additives in regular whipping cream are derived from plants, their inclusion is unnecessary and perhaps pose yet another questionable layer of ill-health for us. ... The body has been telling us for years that the burden of additives, enhancers and preservatives is harming us. The seven additives, posing as ingredients, in regular whipping cream, began to tell Momsey an unsettling story! The study of two creams and their properties was now becoming an unexpected science experiment, in my kitchen. In organic whipped cream, I noticed the reality of a dense, creamier texture akin to the consistency of ice-cream, with a zinger of a taste and flavour sensation, in my first mouthful. I had found whipping cream utopia. The differences were real. Three days in the refrigerator and within the 'best before' time frame, the organic cream did not require additional re-whipping, a 'touch-up' step that was a common occurrence with the 'other' whipping cream. Organic whipped cream, this thickened elixir, was predictable, remaining firm, as I had left it, unmoved and full of flavour in the refrigerator, days later. It whipped up quicker, too.

The fear of eating whipping cream is gone. ... With new knowledge comes new decisions. Organic whipping cream is my only choice, with the same calories, those 'counters of energy', as the other whipping cream product. The difference is the absence of additives in the simple clean food ingredient 'formula' called organic whipping cream. Would next year's version of this timeless classic called regular whipping cream be reformulated again to include more modern additives designed to keep the cream o.k. well beyond its expiry date? Oh My. ...

Real ingredients are what the body requires and needs for health and longevity. The body understands these basic concepts and acts accordingly. There is no confusion here. The body understand its mandate. Somehow, third party committees are deciding the fate of an innocuous food called whipping cream. What committee has declared whipping cream real when so many other things are included in its production?

The switch to organic whipping cream was easy for Momsey. Our bodies are the only arbiters of change. Common sense should rule the food discussion? There should be one world of food, not two! ... In my first year of teaching, I bought a box of chocolate cream-filled cookies. After eating a few, I closed the bag and put it away. One year later, I found the bag and tasted its contents, cautiously. It was as though time had stood still. I promptly threw them out. It is now 2016. Change is in the air and on the grocery store shelves, everywhere. The vote is in. We have spoken!