Cream cooling

[sweetwater]

Is it best to cool syrup for cream as quickly as possible in an ice bath or slowly to room temperature?

[ToadHill]

Cool it as fast as possible. 2 gallons should take no more than 1.5 hours. Some people will tell you it doesn't make any difference, but the longer you wait the more chance you wil grow large crystals and the cream will be grainy. Faster cooling to as low a temp as possible will make the smoothest cream. Good luck.

[sweetwater]

Thanks. That is what I have been doing. I make it in an old ice cream maker that turns the container while the paddle is locked in place. Machine has made a lot of cream. The only problem is that I can only do half gallon batches.
OK to store cream in freezer right?

[maple marc]

Cream has great shelf life in the freezer. Tastes like the day you made it.

In warm weather I chill my cream taffy in a cold water bath to bring down the temperature as quickly as possible.

Marc

[inthewoods]

Once I get the maple syrup/taffy cooled down to room temperature, how long can it sit at room temperature before running it through the cream machine? I have let it sit for up to 24 hours before creaming. Would I be able to let it sit 48 hours before creaming? I want to do a several gallon batch, but will not be able to boil it to temperature all in one night. I'll have to do it over the course of two nights, and then cream the third night. So, the question is, can the room temperature taffy sit for 36-48 hours?

[jmayerl]

Jesse,

Here is my take on cream. I have never let it sit longer than a few hours so I can't say for sure. The best cream has very small crystals so the texture is smooth and not grainy. I would be concerned that crystals might begin to develop on there own if the taffy were to sit to long. This would probably not be a factor if using a gear machine though, as they tend to be Able to break down the large crystals while mixing anyways.

[Russell Lampron]

I have done it both ways. Cooling in an ice bath is the fastest way but you have to be careful not to let it get so cold that it can't be stirred. I let one batch sit overnight to cool to room temperature without the ice bath and it turned out perfect. Good and bad results can be had both ways but I feel that the quicker that you can get it done the better.

[Randy Brutkoski]

Cool it as fast as possible. 2 gallons should take no more than 1.5 hours. Some people will tell you it doesn't make any difference, but the longer you wait the more chance you wil grow large crystals and the cream will be grainy. Faster cooling to as low a temp as possible will make the smoothest cream. Good luck. This is exacltly how i do it and the key is to cool it down as quick as possible. I make about 1 batch every week of the year. I now have it down pat.

[Lazarus]

In the winter, I take my largest stock pot (26 qt), and fill it with snow and a little water to make a thick slush. Then I set my smaller cooking pot to cool firmly into the mix. I might even leave it outside covered from the wind to cool. I can get a large amount cooled in less than 20 minutes. Other times I might just cram it into the snow bank loosely covered if there's not too much wind. Really reduces the time needed to cool it!

An ice bath just takes up my good ice and there's never enough of it. In the summer, a must. But in the winter? Use all that glorious stuff outside!