Milk and Cream

Milk

Opaque white alkaline liquid with a yellowish or bluish tinge, secreted by the mammary glands. The composition of the milk varies according to the type of breed of animal, its state of health and the diet on which it has been reared.

A litre of milk supplies the body with 30gr protein, 35gr fats, 54gr milk sugar, 7gr mineral salts and an appreciable quantity of Vitamins A, B, B1, B2, C. It is indispensable to babies, but not the complete food for adults that may suppose it to be.

In spite of the fact that it is a liquid, milk should always be regarded as a food and not as a drink, and should be sipped and swallowed slowly. Taken in this way, it coagulates in little fragments in the stomach, and these can be dealt with readily by the digestive juices.

Cream

Cream not only contains globules of fat, used for butter, but also a proportion of water, casein lactose and mineral salts.

There is a difference between single cream which is obtained by skimming milk that has been left to settle in shallow bowls, and which contains 10%-20% butter, and double cream, which is obtained by a separating machine and which must contain at least 30% butter.

Cream is a great staple ingredient that I always have in the fridge. It is suitable for sweet or  savoury receipes.

Next week: Cream Horns