Are you udder-ly confused about what half-and-half is, and how to use it? Well, don't have a cow!
Keep watching to learn everything you need to know about this delightful dairy concoction.
People have been putting a splash of half-and-half in their morning coffee or afternoon iced
Americano for a long time, but what exactly is it made of? Half-and-half is simply just a mixture
of milk and light cream, and it's typically made with whole milk rather than skim or 2%. But that's
it. Equal parts milk, equal parts cream, equals half-and-half. The name makes a lot of sense now.
To truly call the dairy product half-and-half, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration,
it is required to consist of no less than 10.5% milkfat, but no more than 18%.
From there it can be pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized,
or include stabilizers or flavors, as long as the label notates its additions.
There are a few varieties such as low-fat and fat-free half-and-half that use other types of
milk or additives. But true half-and-half is about as simple of a dairy combo as it gets.
A Reddit user recently asked about Americans' use of half-and-half in their coffee. Many responses
highlighted the three attributes of this dairy product in comparison to milk or cream. That being
its richness, creaminess, and sweetness. So while a splash of milk and a small heap of sweetener
might give you a good cup of coffee, half-and-half will upgrade it to a decadent beverage.
While we advise that you shouldn't add milk to your scrambled eggs,
the combination of milk and cream has been found to be potent elsewhere.
Not only does it boost the taste of coffee and other hot beverages. But it also enhances mashed
potatoes, soups, and pasta sauces. It can also improve the velvety textures and flavors of milk-
or custard-based desserts, including panna cotta, ice cream, flan, and crème brûlée. The Spruce Eats
has taken this a step further and showcased fancy cocktails that incorporate half-and-half,
including Floating on Cloud 9, Angel's Tip, and a Chocolate Margarita.
The biggest difference between the sum of half-and-half and its parts – milk and
cream – is fat content. Half-and-half contains less fat than cream but more than whole milk,
with a 100-gram serving of half-and-half containing 7 grams of saturated fats.
Saturated fats can have an adverse impact on health by increasing the risk of heart disease
and cholesterol. However, you're still better off consuming saturated fats from
full-fat dairy products rather than those found in sugary and fried foods. The nutrient profile
of this same portion of half-and-half also includes 15% of the daily recommended value
for vitamin B2, 11% for A and B5, and 8% for vitamin B12, calcium, and phosphorus.
Most people assume low-fat and fat-free dairy products are healthier options than full-fat.
"I see you're drinkin' 1%. Is that because you think you're fat?"
However, according to Harvard Health, fat-free half-and-half is "healthy" in
that you're not consuming fat, but it offers no particular health benefits beyond that.
A review in the European Journal of Nutrition reported the following.
"Observational evidence does not support the hypothesis that
dairy fat or high-fat dairy foods contribute to obesity."
So ultimately, whether or not half-and-half is healthy
still boils down to the type you consume as well as the overall quality of your diet.
For in-store purchases, you can find half-and-half in the dairy aisle of most grocery outlets such as
Target. You'll generally find it packaged in pints, quarts, or mini cup singles.
The mini cups may not be available at your local grocery store. But they can be purchased in packs
of 24, 100, and 180 from Walmart and other big-box chains. With so many people shifting
toward online shopping as a necessity or a matter of simple convenience, you can also
make an order for direct delivery to your home via online services like Instacart and Amazon.
Most people will have access to half-and-half through the channels mentioned above.
However, what happens if you're craving the particular flavor and texture of half-and-half
but are lactose intolerant or vegan? You can use these same channels to get the ingredients you
need to make a vegan half-and-half recipe using coconut cream and dairy-free milk.
It will need a little bit of extra patience and care,
but because of the high-fat content found in coconut cream, this is a version that can be
whipped! Add a cherry on top even if you're neither vegan nor lactose intolerant.
Standing in front of the dairy cooler, completely confused,
you may find there's a ridiculous number of cream options. Seriously, how are there so many?
"What's the matter pop?"
"I'm confused."
Half-and-half is different from heavy cream, which is also different from
whipping cream and light cream. But what's the difference when it comes to fat content?
"Um…beats me?"
Well, products with a higher fat content will result in a thicker
cream. Half-and-half typically contains 12% fat, while heavy cream clocks in all the way up to 36%
fat. One tablespoon of half-and-half will add 1.6 grams of fat to your count for the day,
with 1.1 grams of that coming from saturated fat. Alternatively, one tablespoon of heavy
cream will add a whopping 5.4 grams of fat to your count, with 3.5 grams from saturated fat.
According to the US Department of Agriculture,
adults consuming a 2,000-calorie per day diet should typically eat 44 to 77 grams of fat daily.
And you might be surprised by just how easy it is to hit,
or even exceed that number without even trying. But at least opting for half-and-half instead of
cream will give you a fraction of the amount of fat you're adding to your morning coffee.
If you've ever gone to the store and decided you were feeling brave enough to make your
own whipped cream, instead of using one of the aerosol cans in the dairy coolers,
this may have happened to you. It's not uncommon to grab half-and-half off the
dairy shelf instead of whipping cream. After all, it's pretty much in the same carton.
But once you get home and try to whip it up, you'll surely realize it doesn't work.
And that's all due to the difference in fat content. You see, the thicker the cream,
and the higher the fat content, the easier it is to whip into stable peaks.
Because of the lower fat content in half-and-half, it will never be able to achieve those fluffy,
cloud-like peaks of whipped cream you're looking for. When making whipped cream correctly, you need
heavy cream with its 36% fat content. That's what gives you a more-versatile whipped cream that will
hold its shape much longer than other options. With a difference in milkfat content of over 20%
on average, there's just no way half-and-half is up to the task.
When you throw heavy cream into a vodka sauce for your upcoming penne pasta dish,
it usually will work right into the mixture without much fuss. Adding a beautiful,
creamy texture to the sauce. But it's just not that easy if you've decided to use half-and-half.
Dishes like quiche, mashed potatoes, or soups work well with the addition of half-and-half, and it
can pretty well be used interchangeably with heavy cream. But it needs a little help along the way.
Cream options with a higher fat content are more resistant to curdling,
but if you're using half-and-half, curdling can be avoided with tempering.
To temper half-and-half, you should put a small amount of the hot liquid you're trying to add it
to into a bowl. Then, add the half-and-half and slowly whisk it. You should repeat these steps
two times to slowly introduce the cream into the mixture before adding it back to your dish. This
makes the temp gradually increase, rather than the abrupt addition that would cause curdling.
When you grab your carton of half-and-half from the dairy cooler, along with your gallon of milk,
you may notice their 'best by' dates definitely don't match up.
Well, different dairy equals a differing best by date. And it's all due to the
processing that occurs before dairy products hit the grocery store shelves.
The majority of half-and-half products on the market are ultra-pasteurized before hitting the
shelves. According to Cornell University, when a product is ultra-pasteurized, it's heated to
a minimum of 280 degrees Fahrenheit, and it stays at that temp for at least two seconds.
During this process, it kills any bacterial concerns,
and from there it's packaged in sterile conditions so bacteria can't find their way
back into the product. Cornell University reports that on average, ultra-pasteurized products can
hang out on the shelves for 30 to 90 days with refrigeration. But once the container is open,
it becomes contaminated by open elements and only has 7 to 10 days left for ideal consumption.
Because regular half-and-half is made up of the simple combination of cream and whole milk,
the mixture leaves a bit of room for adjustments, particularly in the milk category. In theory, with
options of 1%, 2%, and skim milk on the market, half-and-half producers could mix any option of
milkfat percentages with cream. Whole milk is used as a standard to achieve that creamy consistency.
But using low-fat milk offers consumers a welcome option with lower fat and calorie count .
According to food labeling standards set by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, any product
labeled low-fat must contain 3 grams or less of total fat per 100 grams. Or, no more than 30% of
calories coming from fat. To achieve this title, some companies like Land O Lakes will combine
non-fat milk with cream to lower the fat content to less than half a gram per tablespoon. But even
with the lower fat content, it can pretty much be used interchangeably with regular half-and-half.
If the day comes when you wake up, head to the fridge, and try to pour yourself a cup
of coffee with half-and-half, only to find the carton empty, there's still an alternative.
Since half-and-half is literally just a mixture of milk and cream, you can easily make it yourself!
If you're working on a recipe for baked goods or cooked dishes like soups or pasta sauces, making
a substitute will work in a pinch if you run out as well. You'll simply need to mix equal parts of
whole milk and cream together. Put the mixture in a jar or a cup with a lid and shake it up a bit.
That's it! It is possible it might end up separating slightly when you add it to your coffee
since it didn't go through the homogenization process, but it's barely noticeable.
It's also possible to combine low-fat milk and heavy cream together for a lighter mix. Or,
if you don't have any heavy cream in the house at all, you can add a tablespoon of melted
butter to a cup of whole milk to achieve the same consistency and milkfat content.
If you've ever sipped on a White Russian, Spanish Coffee, or even a Key Lime Pie Martini at the bar,
chances are you've had heavy cream or half-and-half in your cocktail.
Heavy cream is often added to cocktails to give them a creamy texture, breaking through a bit of
acidity from the alcohol. But half-and-half is a great alternative to ask for when you're not
all that interested in sipping on a whole cup of cream and don't want to dilute the flavor of
the alcohol. Plus, restaurants usually have it on hand more often since it's used for coffee anyway.
But you can't just pour a bunch of half-and-half in a cocktail and assume it
will mix together perfectly. There's a bit of science that goes on with the process.
"You know, I'm something of a scientist myself.”
Of course, you are! And that's why it should be obvious to you that because
of the acidity of alcohol, it doesn't always mix well with just plain milk.
"But, uh…you already knew that."
Milk doesn't have a high enough fat content to fend off what happens during the curdling process,
which is why heavy cream is often used. But, if you introduce it correctly,
with just topping off your cocktail glass, half-and-half works wonderfully. And a little
bit can go a long way in making a cocktail so much more delicious!
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