Coffee, cream, and artificial sweetener

[Maverick2272]

This is wierd. I like my coffee with sugar and cream. Never had a problem with it before, just mix and it stays mixed.
Well, recently I switched to Aspartame sweetener to help with my diabetes. Now suddenly if I let the coffee sit for a a minute or so, the cream rises to the top and sometimes even clumps slightly.
Is there some sort of chemical reaction taking place here? Anyone know why the cream is suddenly separating out on me? And if so, would a different type of sweetener work better?
Thanks in advance!

 

[kitchenelf]

If memory serves me correctly I think that happened to me because my artificial sweetener was old............like REALLY old!

At least that's what a friend suggested the problem was and it never did it after I bought new Splenda.

 

[Maverick2272]

I bought it last week, but who knows how long it has been on the self, I can't find a best if used by date on it or a production date either.
Maybe I should try Splenda too, they have that at ALDI now as well.

 

[Andy M.]

I have found that old cream will separate before it tastes bad.

 

[Maverick2272]

Sorry guys, I should have been more specific. After reading Andy's post I checked the cream, and it is fresh. However, I noticed two things about it. One, it says to shake it before each use and I have not been doing that. Second, it is heavy cream, and I usually use light cream.
I only started adding cream because I don't like half and half, and a coffee guru at a farmers market suggested I might like cream instead. He said use light cream as it would taste better than heavy cream, and that in fact light cream was originally called coffee cream.
So, maybe it is because I have not been shaking it, and it is heavy cream instead of light cream? I did an experiment, I poured another cup of coffee and added the aspartame to it and waited. No clumping. I then added some half and half instead of the cream and mixed it up. I am still waiting, but after a couple of minutes it has not clumped up on me.
Perhaps I have found the problem?

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I don't use sweetener at all Mav and occasionally my cream will do that, too. It's only when I'm using heavy cream but it doesn't happen every time. So it must have something to do with the cream itself but I'm not sure what. (It seems to only happen when it's almost all gone from the carton, though.)

 

[AMSeccia]

How is your "light cream" labeled? I cannot find light cream around here to save my soul! I think you found your problem -- shake it before each use. Sounds like it's separating, but it still shouldn't clump in your coffee. That'd turn me off ... have you tried whole milk? I have been trying to lower my overall caloric intake, and I like my coffee on the light side. Not sure I'm saving many calories since it takes a bit more, but I have been subbing whole milk for half and half. On that note, have you tried the fat free half or is the corn syrup in it a no-no?

 

[Maverick2272]

That's the thing, I don't like milk or half n half in my coffee, only cream will do. Ours is labeled 'light cream' or 'heavy cream', although sometimes the heavy cream is labeled 'whipping cream'.
I also noticed I do not have this problem as much when using real sugar, which is what I am trying to avoid, LOL. So, I think it is something with the heavy cream and artificial sweeteners, and not shaking it was a no-no.