Whipping-cream will not stay hard or keep its peaks and gets runny

Question

My mother is confounded by whipping-cream. Some 20 years ago she started making cream-puffs which quickly became her pastry calling card. They always came out great and were always a hit. Some 15 years later, she cannot seem to make whipped-cream anymore.

She still uses the same bowl, same mixer, same whipping-cream (Nutriwhip whipping-cream) and does everything the same way as she used to, but no matter what, the cream stays soft and will not stiffen or form peaks. (The kitchen is not too hot.)

Some explanations that we have considered include:

Changes to the quality/ingredients of the cream (despite the box being the same)
Adding powdered sugar to the liquid cream before whipping (like she always used to do)
Refrigerator not cold enough (but then, freezer not cold enough either?)
Whipping for too long causes heat build-up due to friction, which melts it (doesn’t excessive beating turn it into butter?)

She tried using different bowl, a chilled bowl, a different mixer, (even made me try by hand once!) She has tried a different brands of cream (35% Beatrice and Lactancia whipping-creams), but gets the same results. One time, I tried adding the powdered sugar after whipping the cream, and it was much better than what she normally gets now, but still not as stiff as compared to the past. Using a whisk on the mixer in place of the normal beaters (which was what she always used before, as my and my sister’s tongues can attest to), seems to help, but even that is only temporary.

She has even tried putting the whipped cream in the freezer, and while it does harden, once it has thawed enough to pipe, it gets runny very quickly (in the past, she would be able to pipe the cream onto baked goods, leave them in the fridge for a day, then drive them to somewhere else without the cream’s edges softening).

She is baffled because she had made whipped-cream for various baked-goods countless times, but until a few years ago, she never had any problems, then suddenly, it never works anymore. I found a few related questions here, but they don’t quite apply (they talk about different bowls, different temperatures, etc., but like I said, it used to work).

What could be the problem? How can she get whipped-cream to stay hard like it used to?

Exact brands and variations used:

Nutriwhip Beatrice whipping-cream enter image description here

Do you know somebody else who can whip these brands of cream in their kitchen? Friends, neighbours? Also, it is easier to whip cream which includes carrageenan, is it listed on your packages? — rumtscho, Feb 28 '12 at 19:12
Also, the searches I get for nutriwhip indicate its a non-dairy whipped topping. Not something you're gonna rewhip. Now, the whipping cream should work, but especially if its got carrageenan like rumtscho says. — rfusca, Feb 28 '12 at 19:23
Could the mixer be spinning slower than it used to? Have you tried a different mixer? I've used the Beatrice brand of whipping cream and never had issues... I think I've even used it very recently. — talon8, Feb 28 '12 at 20:32
The Lactancia has carrageenan (I don’t have access to Nutriwhip or Beatrice, but the Nutriwhip always used to work). She tried her new Kitchenaid mixer (she was told that letting it mix too long would turn it into butter, but instead it just turned back into liquid). — Synetech, Feb 28 '12 at 21:15
Has the environment changed? You dismissed different temperature variation - what about humidity? Anything at all that changes the air that's getting whipped in? — Cascabel, Feb 28 '12 at 21:37
@Jefromi, well she has lived in four places since starting. The first apartment worked fine for 10 or so years, then the town-house worked for a few more. She was in another town-house for another decade or so; it worked at first then later on didn’t. Her current place has not worked at all. I suppose the air certainly would be an important factor. It’s usually quite humid in the summer and quite dry in the winter. What kind of humidity would be conducive to whipping-cream? — Synetech, Feb 28 '12 at 21:57
If the humidity is high enough, it'd help "melt" the whipped cream. The fact that her current place has never worked seems like an important detail, suggesting some kind of environmental change, perhaps humidity. (Maybe the AC/heating is different.) — Cascabel, Feb 28 '12 at 22:18
The apartment had a good climate (heaters were automatic and electric was included in the rent), but because the three town-houses after that had electric heaters and utilities were not included, she didn’t/doesn’t use them (or AC). This makes winters too dry and summers too humid. I’ll advise her to try it in another room or building next time to see if that does the trick. — Synetech, Feb 28 '12 at 22:39
I would think humidity would make it more difficult, but not seemingly impossible.... — rfusca, Feb 29 '12 at 04:07
It's probable that all brands have changed from HTST pasteurized to ultra-pasteurized, which makes it have much longer shelf life, but slighty worse taste and whipping ability ([source](http://www.cooksillustrated.com/howto/detail.asp?docid=1686)). ... but it still whips to butter, not liquid, if you go to far. — derobert, Feb 29 '12 at 04:21
@derobert, actually when she first started complaining about it not working, I examined the box and noticed the *ultra-pasteurization* symbol and considered it as a possible cause. I cannot see the post you linked to (it requires a credit-card even for a free trial), but I Googled *ultra-pasteurization whipping-cream* and [found this page](http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/464508). It seems to give inconsistent results, but the general consensus does seem to be that it affects the whippability (that’s actually a real word‽ `:-D`) of dairy products. I’ll tell her to try a box of non-ultra cream. — Synetech, Feb 29 '12 at 04:44
How long is she intending to keep it stable? My wife, who has much more experience with this says that if she adds cooking starch it stays the stiffest and regular sugar a little less so. But generally speaking it stays for a day or two easily even without adding anything. We're using the same brands as well. So I can't say what we're doing differently... — talon8, Feb 29 '12 at 15:40
@talon8, well that’s just it. I remember flans in the fridge with whipped-cream on them keeping the ridges from the star-shaped piping bag nozzle for as long as the flan existed. Granted it wasn’t exactly a month, but they usually lasted one to two weeks (my sister and I liked it, but it did have fruit after all). `:-D` — Synetech, Feb 29 '12 at 19:01
Approaching from a different angle... is there a chance the sugar has changed? — talon8, Feb 29 '12 at 19:26
*> is there a chance the sugar has changed?* She tried it without sugar at all (for what good that did, yech!) `:-D` — Synetech, Feb 29 '12 at 19:30
We are having the SAME problem! They have to be adding something. We are using Horizon's organic heavy whipping cream. My 93 year young mother in law is so frustrated because she's been a baker for 80 years and NEVER has had this happen. I put my beater/bowl in freezer, etc etc etc. It eventually does form peaks but it's taking double the time. Sigh. — , May 17 '13 at 19:16
@PMarie, do the peaks last? My mother has tried the frozen bowl trick as well, but even though the cream does whip, it quickly softens into a sloppy, wet goop (which while still tasty, is visually unappealing). — Synetech, May 18 '13 at 18:24

Wayfaring Stranger · Answer 1 · 2013-05-17T19:37:32.020

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The brands that used to work may have changed their formulation in response to carageenan shortages. If they use less emulsifier, a lower quality product, or different emulsifiers such as guar gum, locust bean, or xanthan gum, the stability of the whipped cream may suffer. If the cream you can get isn't stable enough, you can add unflavored gelatin to stabilize it. Method is in 'Joy of Cooking', or here.

May2013: Looks like carrageenan is still on the USDA organic list Shortage has eased, but whipping problems could still be due to variations in quality of supply.

edited May 17 '13 at 19:37

answered Feb 29 '12 at 03:10

Wayfaring Stranger

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Wow, I had no idea there was a carageenan shortage! The things you don't hear about in the American news ... – FuzzyChef Feb 29 '12 at 06:40

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited Oct 11 '12 at 04:59

I live in NZ and have never had any problem with whipping cream. Our cream here doesn't contain any additives to help it harden like carrageenan.

However, when I used the normal whipping cream in Canada, I had the same problem beating it to stiff peaks. It just didn't do it and I was unsure as to why was the case. Then when I checked the box, it had something else added to it (don't remember what). I was very annoyed as the texture wasn't right and not what I had expected it to be. The texture of the cream was much nicer and easier to work with when nothing else was added to it. I am surprised as to why they need to add stuff to even plain cream to help get better results.

Do you remember if it was a chemical or natural item or anything (e.g., lettered-acronym or words)? — Synetech, Jul 27 '12 at 03:04

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 29 '12 at 21:05

Cream as per Wikipedia: "Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization.". It should not contain any other additive or sugar etc.

To test cream: Place 100 ml of cream from a fridge, into a cocktail shaker or similar shaped container with tight fitting lid. Shake back and forth (cocktail style) for 2 to 5 minutes (depends on your strength), you should have smooth whipped cream. If you shake for another minute or two it will separate into butter and whey

If your cream source does not whip with this process, it may not actually be cream

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered May 18 '13 at 18:35

Tests

She has tried the frozen-bowl trick (which she never used to have to do), but the cream only stays whipped and forms peaks for a while, then starts to melt (far too) quickly.

Theory

One theory she had was that she was whipping it for too long, which caused heat build up due to friction which in turn melted the cream. This seems to be borne out by the fact that using a wire-whip tends to give desired results more often than using flat-beaters.

Facts

Of course this isn’t a 100% answer or solution because:

She used to use flat-beaters exclusively in the past without issue
Even when using a whisk to whip it, it can still melt and fall flat quickly sometimes

Supplemental

In addition, I noticed that she seems to be putting more icing sugar in her whipped-cream than in the past. This likely changes, and specifically lowers, the melting point of the cream just like adding salt to water. We have not done extensive, conclusive testing, but a couple times when she remembered to put in less sugar, it did seem to whip better. This may or may not have been due to the lower sugar content, but it certainly is worth trying if you are having trouble whipping cream.

Conclusion

These observations and tests seem to indicate that the material contents of the cream have changed since the past, and even today, can vary from box to box.

Either way, a wire whisk and chilled bowl as well as reducing sugar (and possibly dyes, and other additives) are the best shot at getting cream to whip.

Last week she had me help her make mini-cheesecakes again (I love those!) because she can barely move her arms anymore. We made whipped-cream for them but she added the powdered sugar and vanilla *after* whipping the cream, and I definitely noted that the plain cream was nice and stiff. I believe more than ever that it is due to the excessive sugar—powdered sugar actually feels *oily*—that she was using in recent years (thankfully no diabetes). — Synetech, Aug 11 '13 at 17:50
Sugar does awful things to egg white meringues, if you add it too early. — Wayfaring Stranger, Oct 15 '19 at 00:04

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 10 '14 at 15:47

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Nutriwhip is NOT cream, but aside from that fact, whipping cream (of any type) requires the proper hardware. It is possible, judging by your explanation, that your mom's mixer is simply old and no longer able to whip enough air into the product at a high enough speed. Get a fine gauge manual whisk and test whipping the product. If it whips...buy your mom a new era mixer!

answered Mar 10 '14 at 15:47

tom

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Getting it to whip isn’t the problem, getting it to *stay* whipped is. Like I said, she has already tried different mixers (electric-hand, hand-whisk, and stand-mixer). Using a wire whisk gave the best results and it whipped up quickly into peaks, but it still melted much faster than in the old days. It has nothing to do with the mixer. – Synetech Mar 10 '14 at 16:38

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered May 25 '15 at 05:11

I had the same problem of my whipping cream (high quality, comes in the glass jar). It did great, really thick and stayed that way for days in the fridge. That batch I whipped in a glass bowl. next time, exact same product and temp, but whipped in a plastic Melamine bowl. Never really got thick and by next day in fridge was all thin and "watery" (note I also stored it in same plastic bowl). So I think it matters what kind of mixing utensils you use. I think the glass stays colder, thus better to thicken the cream.....Not sure, but seems to make sense......

score 0 · Answer 7 · edited Feb 29 '12 at 18:25

I'll go for the first reason. Quality of cream is crucial in order to make good whipping-cream. Try different brands, until you find the one that satisfies you. This too happened to me many times when I used bad-quality whipping cream. If the cream persists to whip incorrectly, you could try adding a small amount of corn or potato starch to the cream, although it isn't necessary. Also be sure to whip the cream right after taking it out of the fridge (it should be cold but not freezing) and that the bowl is also cold. I wouldn't worry about whipping for too long. Just continue whipping until you'll get the expected result.

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Oct 16 '15 at 23:55

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I believe that something has changed with the actual cream since I have had the same experience with the cream whipping up nice and by the time I serve it up, it has gone soft. That is within a matter of a couple of hours, whereas before the whipping cream stayed whipped into the next day.

answered Oct 16 '15 at 23:55

Bernadette Cantin

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This would be a better answer if you had some idea what might've changed! – Cascabel Oct 20 '15 at 04:32

score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Feb 02 '17 at 20:41

Use pure cream, preferably with high fat content and if necessary you can add some additives that harden it even more.

Adding sugar is fine especially since whipped cream without it is disgusting.

With real cream this will work fine, if you are using some cream substitute, don't.

The only other explanation is if you live somewhere really hot the cream could go bad in the time it takes to the store.

score -1 · Answer 10 · edited Sep 30 '13 at 08:37

To whip cream, you need chilled butterfat (around 35-40%) called whipping, heavy, or double cream. As you beat the cream, it forms bubbles and the proteins denature, with some parts staying in the water and some parts staying in the fat, until you end up with a film of solid fat and protein that traps the air inside, with the water in between the bubbles. If you beat the cream too much, you can turn the whole thing inside out, with the water trapped inside films of fat and protein, and the air gets out (turns runny). Don't add sugar or flavor until you start getting a stiff whip or the sugar will disrupt the trapping of air bubbles. To get a stiffer peak or cream, you can add a small amount of unflavored gelatin to the cream as you first start to mix and whip.

score -2 · Answer 11 · answered Oct 04 '13 at 01:35

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Buy pure whipping cream with no additives. It will work like the olden days, pure and simple. It won't weep an separate. It took me a few years to figure out. I am allergic to all legumes ie: guar gum etc. and carrageenan.

Good luck.

answered Oct 04 '13 at 01:35

Lins

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The author states that the ingredient statement on the cream hasn't changed. – SourDoh Oct 04 '13 at 13:42
Pure whipping cream might be better for people with allergies, but the gums are in there exactly because they make whipping easier. If somebody has trouble with the consistency, choosing pure cream will make it worse. – rumtscho Oct 04 '13 at 17:14