Dairy Terms:

HOMOGENIZATION: Homogenization is the breaking down of the fat and cholesterol globules in the milk emulsion, and mixing them to an even consistency so the consumer will not have to contend with the cream separating and rising to the top of the bottle or carton. This is accomplished by forcing the milk under great pressure through a fine screen or tiny tubes. This reduces the size of the fat molecules (and increases their density) and makes the milk a dispersed, uniform product. 

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE: There are many millions of people who must be cautious about consuming milk and milk by-products. For information, click here.

PASTEURIZATION: Pasteurization is a process of heating milk to 145 degrees to 170 degrees F to kill bacteria. Some pasteurization techniques only take 15 seconds to kill bacteria and enzymes. Founded by Louis Pasteur, it began as a method to stop typhoid epidemics that were killing people as a result of drinking contaminated milk. In this sense, pasteurization was a way to end the suffering and tragedy of milk-born, infectious diseases.

Dairy Types:

BUTTER AND MARGARINE

BUTTERMILK (CALLED REGULAR OR LOW-FAT): 

Buttermilk is an absolute must for people who love to bake ! Buttermilk is curdled milk from adding an acidic ingredient to it. The milk used can be low-fat to whole (read the label for the type of milk used).

I have seen buttermilk types called nonfat, low-fat, light and reduced-fat.  All are interchangeable in a recipe.  Most buttermilk these days is low-fat, but you may still find the regular variety, so be aware of the distinction. 

Buttermilk, like yogurt and sour cream, is an acidic ingredient, and helps tenderize the gluten formed in a batter.

In addition to giving baked goods a tender texture, buttermilk also lends a rich tangy flavor.  Buttermilk can vary in calories and fat grams according to the type of milk used to make it.  Shake the carton before using.  I prefer fresh buttermilk to instant buttermilk powder, which reconstitutes into a thin liquid. 

CHANTILLY CREAM: Chantilly cream is whipped cream — but you have to dress up to eat it. The French name is crème chantilly. If there’s any distinction between the two, it’s that chantilly cream is lightly whipped (although plain old whipped cream doesn’t need to be beaten until stiff, either). Under whatever name, it is usually sweetened and can be flavored with vanilla or a liqueur.

CHEESE

CLABBER (CLABBERED) MILK: is cultured or clabbered into yogurt-like products are pre-digested by the beneficial bacteria that feed on the lactose (milk sugar). Thus, cultured milk products have less lactose, and are less likely to offend the partially lactose-intolerant or allergic person because they are easier to digest.

CLOTTED CREAM: Clotted cream or Devonshire cream is a thick cream made by slowly heating rich, unpasteurized milk to about 82 degrees Centigrade and holding it that temperature for about an hour. A very thick, yellow layer of clots or coagulated clumps of cream forms on the top. It has a minimum fat content of 55 percent. It is a traditional accompaniment to the English 'cream tea,' served with jam and scones.

CREAM: Upon standing, unhomogenized milk naturally separates into two layers — a milk-fat rich cream on top and almost fat-free (or skimmed) milk on the bottom. Commercially, the cream is separated from the milk by centrifugal force. Almost all cream that reaches the market today has been pasteurized.

There are many varieties of cream, all categorized according to the amount of milk fat in the mixture. Many, many supermarkets carry heavy cream. If you can't find, substitute an equal amount of whipping cream for heavy cream. See Whipping Cream, below.

CREAM CHEESE

CRÈME FRAICHE: [krehm FRESH] This matured, thickened cream has a slightly tangy, nutty flavor and velvety rich texture. The thickness of crème fraîche can range from that of commercial sour cream to almost as solid as room-temperature margarine. 

Crème fraîche and sour cream can be used interchangeably in most recipes, but Crème fraîche has two advantages over sour cream: it can be whipped like whipping cream, and it will not curdle if boiled. 

In France, where crème fraîche is a specialty, the cream is unpasteurized and therefore contains the bacteria necessary to thicken it naturally. In America, where all commercial cream is pasteurized, the fermenting agents necessary for crème fraîche can be obtained by adding buttermilk or sour cream. 

Crème fraîche is the ideal addition for sauces or soups because it can be boiled without curdling. It's delicious spooned over fresh fruit or other desserts such as warm cobblers or puddings or used in truffle recipes. 

Crème fraîche is sold in some gourmet markets. If you can't find it, it's so easy to make an equally delicious crème fraîche version at home: recipes.

DEVONSHIRE CREAM: (DEHV-uhn-sheer) - Originally from Devonshire County, England, it is a thick, buttery cream often used as a topping for desserts. It is still a specialty of Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset as this is where the right breed of cattle are raised with a high enough cream content to produce clotted cream. It is also known as Devon cream and clotted cream. Clotted cream has a consistency similar to soft butter. 

Before the days of pasteurization, the milk from the cows was left to stand for several hours so that the cream would rise to the top. Then this cream was skimmed and put into big pans. The pans were then floated in trays of constantly boiling water in a process known as scalding. The cream would then become much thicker and develop a golden crust which is similar to butter. 

Today however, the cream is extracted by a separator which extracts the cream as it is pumped from the dairy to the holding tank. The separator is a type of centrifuge which extracts the surplus cream at the correct quantity so that the milk will still have enough cream to be classified as milk.

EGGS

FARMER'S CHEESE

GOAT MILK: On a worldwide basis, more people drink the milk of goats than any other single animal. In the United States, cow's milk is the norm, but goat's milk is increasing in popularity. Goat's milk has a more easily digestible fat and protein content than cow milk.  It is not homogenized.

Goat's milk is used for drinking, cooking and baking. It is used to make cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, candy, soap and other body products. It is whiter than whole cow milk. Butter and cheese made from goat milk are white, but may be colored during processing. Due to its small fat globules and soft small curd, products made with goat milk are smooth and cream-like. Goat's milk is also naturally emulsified. Chevre is the French word for goat. Domestically, it is a generic term that applies to all goat cheeses, and more specifically the mild fresh cheeses.

ICE CREAM: Ice cream is often called "The Great American Dessert". Although it is typically American, the U.S. cannot claim its origin. There are literally hundreds of flavors for ice cream, ranging from plain vanilla to rocky road (an extremely rich mix, high in butterfat content and also containing fresh eggs). No matter how many flavors there are, vanilla is still #1!! The most popular topping for ice cream? - chocolate syrup.

LACTOSE-FREE OR LACTOSE-REDUCED MILK:  For those who are lactose-intolerant. It's easier to digest.

LONG-LIFE MILK: It can last unopened in your cupboard without any refrigeration for at least six months and is available from the supermarket. (Once it has been opened, it must be refrigerated.) The only brand name for non-flavored milk I've seen is Parmalat. I always keep a box in my pantry for times when I run out of milk and can't run to the grocery store. Parmalat is great to use when making yogurt. Several companies sell flavored milks (chocolate, etc.) in this packaging, usually in the smaller single-serving sizes. 

MASCARPONE CHEESE

MILK (COW'S):  Milk is a complex fluid consisting of seven main components: water, fat, protein, sugar (lactose), minerals, vitamins and enzymes. It could also be described as a true aqueous solution of lactose, salts and a few other minor compounds, which is emulsified with fat and supports a colloidal dispersion of proteins. The opacity of milk is due to its content of suspended particles of fat, proteins and certain minerals. The color varies from white to yellow according to the coloration (carotene content) of the fat. Skimmed milk is more transparent with a slightly bluish tinge. Milk of a good flavor has a pleasant, slightly sweet taste, and no odor. It is an excellent source of calcium, phosphates and riboflavin. Vitamin A and D are currently added to whole milk, partly skimmed and skimmed milk.

The major components of milk, i.e. water, fat, proteins and lactose are probably of greatest importance since most of the functional properties reside with these individual components. Its proteins (as do eggs and flour) that set or coagulate from the oven's heat and form the structure of the cake. Proteins bind/entrap water, form a stable film and proteins set when baked. Proteins stabilize fat emulsions and the lactose undergoes caramelization reaction or helps with browning.

Depending upon the butterfat content, milk will contribute fat and milk proteins to a recipe. In order of the highest fat content to the lowest, there is whole milk, reduced-fat (2 %) milk, lowfat (1%) milk, and nonfat (skim) milk. I recommend going no lower than 2 percent milk in your recipes, even if baking low-fat ones. The higher the fat content in the milk, the more it will enhance the baked good's flavor, so be aware when you substitute a higher one for a lower-in-fat one. Technically, you could make skim milk by adding enough water to whole milk, this is not permitted in US dairy plants.

NEUFCHATEL CREAM CHEESE

RAW MILK (unpasteurized):  Is not recommended because it can spread diseases such as salmonella and tuberculosis.

RICOTTA 

SOUR CREAM: Sour cream, like buttermilk and yogurt, is an acidic ingredient, and helps tenderize the gluten formed in a batter, giving a tender texture. It also lends a rich tangy flavor. I prefer it over yogurt when baking cakes; it gives a nice, dense and moist texture. 

Commercial sour cream contains from 18 to 20 percent fat, and has been treated with a lactic acid culture to add its characteristic tang. Sour cream often contains additional ingredients such as gelatin, rennin and vegetable enzymes. Sour cream comes with varying amounts of fat:  

The full fat version has 5 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons. Of this 3.5 grams are saturated. Total calories are 60 with 50 of them coming from fat.

Reduced or lowered fat sour cream has only 3.5 grams of fat in 2 tablespoons (2.5 saturated). Each serving is 45 calories. If you want to reduce the fat, I recommend this variety instead of nonfat, because the fat content and acidity differ between the two. The taste and texture will be better.

The nonfat or fat free sour cream is just that. Most of the calories are from carbohydrates.

The regular and reduced fat can be used in cooking but even at moderate temperatures the fat free sour cream will separate. When adding it cool the sauce first and add the sour cream reheating gently or temper the sour cream first. 

WHIPPING CREAM: (How to Whip Cream). 

Heavy cream is the richest type of liquid cream with a fat content of at least 36%, while whipping cream contains between 30% and 36% fat. For whipping, you need a minimum of 30% fat. 

Whipping cream and heavy whipping cream can be substituted for the other, but the higher the fat content, the higher and firmer the cream will whip up. This will give you a thicker and more stable frosting perfect for piping through a pastry bag.

While both whipping cream and heavy cream whip up quickly, I did discover that whipped cream made with whipping cream was softer, more voluminous (25% to 30% more), and more enjoyable spooned on top of desserts.  

The science of whipping cream: When cream is beaten air cells form more slowly partly because of higher viscosity and partly because the presence of fat causes immediate collapse of most of the larger bubbles. if most of the fat is liquid (high temperature) the fat globule membrane is not readily punctured and churning does not occur -at cold temperature where solid fat is present, churning (clumping) of the fat globule takes place. Clumps of globules begin to associate with air bubbles so that a network of air bubbles and fat clumps and globules form entrapping all the liquid and producing a stable foam. if beating continues the fat clumps increase in size until they become too large and too few to enclose the air cells, hence air bubbles coalesce, the foam begins to "leak" and ultimately butter and butter milk remain.

YOGURT:  Curdled milk which has been treated with harmless bacteria. In the Middle East it is served as a sauce with meat, fish and vegetables; in Europe mainly with or in desserts; in American primarily a breakfast or snack with fruit or fruit flavorings. I prefer organic, acidophilus brands like Stonyfield Farms, without stabilizers or gelatin.  Fruit-flavored yogurts can be used to flavor baked goods.  Nonfat yogurt or low-fat yogurt are okay to bake with besides the regular variety.  

YOGURT CHEESE 

CANNED MILKS: These are commonly called UHT milks (Ultra High Temperature) for the packaging technique used to put them up. Both evaporated and sweetened condensed milks are made by removing about half the water from fresh milk, but sweetened condensed milk has sugar added while evaporated milk does not. They cannot be substituted for one another. Unopened cans of evaporated milk can be stored on a cool, dry shelf for up to six months. Canned milk (UHT) should be stored till the stamped date code on the package (3 - 6 months). Check the date on sweetened, condensed milk for maximum storage.

DRY MILKS: Nonfat dry milk is a product that is created when water is removed from pasteurized nonfat milk. By depriving microorganisms of the water which they require in order to develop, drying allows skim milk powder to have a shelf life of up to 3 years if stored properly. It contains lactose, milk proteins and minerals in the same relative proportions as the fresh milk from which it was made. Skim milk powder is by far the most common type of milk powder available.

Try to buy your dried milk in containers of a size that makes sense for the level of consumption in the household. Once it is opened, powdered milk has to be stored properly to last. If you buy large packages and do not use much at one time, consider breaking it down and repackaging into smaller containers at the time of purchase. 

Dry Milk Storage: OPENED dry milk products are especially sensitive to storage conditions. The powder should be stored under cool, dry conditions and should be protected from contact with water or light. Airtight and opaque colored containers are the best place to store it in. With its low moisture content, its nutritive value is not affected, even after years of storage.

If the bulk dry milk purchased was not packaged for long term storage then it should be repackaged right away. It's important to remember the containers should be clean and odor-free. 

The method I now use is to pour the powder into clean, dry half-gallon glass canning jars. Glass has the advantage of not holding odors, thus allowing for reuse after suitable cleaning. Once the jars are filled I add a small desiccant pack and seal. They are dated and stored in a cool, dark place. Since they are as transparent the contents must be protected against light. Vacuum sealing and then storing in a dark place may be the best method. Larger jars of 1 gallon size could be used and then re-vacuum sealed after each use. 

Clean, sound plastic one and two liter soda bottles can also be used, but probably should be used just once since the plastic is somewhat permeable and will hold odors.