Whisking cream with a balloon whisk - help!

[cas]

I have always try to do things manually, instead of using gadgets.
When I use an electric whisk I get perfect whipped cream everytime.
When I use a balloon whisk I -

- overwhip it
- the cream at the bottom of the bowl thickens before the top does


I make sure the bowl is clean and dry and the cream is below 5 deg C .
I read that I should put the whisk in the freezer will that help or is it just the technique I'm getting wrong.
please help

thanx

 

[Katie H]

I'm stumped, cas. I've whipped cream with a whisk and haven't encountered the problem you describe. This is a very helpful group so, be patient, you will get an answer. Well, probably many answers.

Welcome to DC where questions are always answered and friends are abundant.

 

[jpmcgrew]

You can also put bowl in freezer.What kind of cream are you using?If it doesn't have enough butter fat it wont whip up as good.Are you using any kind of sweetener?Powdered sugar helps to thicken it better than regular sugar as it contains some cornstarch.
Perhaps you are not over whipping but not enough are you getting to the bottom of bowl when you whip?I also have never had a problem whipping by hand.

 

[Andy M.]

Try a different whisking motion. Sweep the whisk across the bottom and lift so you are bringing th cream up from the bottom to the top. Similar to the motion used in folding.

 

[cas]

thnx everyone, to answer your questions

- mostly I use double cream

- the only time I put sweetners in, is when the cream is a topping and that has never changed the result


Andy M - thanx for that, for some reason I didn't think that would work as well, because it would't get enough air in. Most of the time I over think the problem.

Katie E - thanx for the most excellent welcome !

jpmcgrew - I'm definately getting to the bottom of the bowl because when I lift the whisk out the cream at the bottom of the balloon and bowl is thick and/or starting the curdle, but the top is still runny.


maybe I'm just not moving the whole lot around enough and just whisking the bottom.. mmm I dunno

thnx again

 

[VeraBlue]

I remember the days when I started working professionally in a kitchen...seems a rite of passage is to make meringue and whipped cream by hand....in the walk-in refrigerator!

By all and any means, have your whip and bowl very cold and compeltely oil free. Place a wet towel on the table or work surface and then put your bowl onto the towel. It will help anchor the bowl while you are working the cream. You have to incorporate air into the cream as you whip it, so bring your hand up and around in large enough circles to get the air really moving. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl every time your whip comes back down. Rotate the bowl every few circles.

At some point you'll need to add the sugar. If you wait too long, it won't blend in and will taste grainy. If you do it too soon, it may prevent the cream from whipping. Try to guage the halfway point, and then add your sugar, a bit at a time.

Be thankful you don't have to do this standing inside the refrigerator.

 

[Jeekinz]

I take the ice despenser tray out of the freezer and put the metal bowl right on top of the ice. Works faster than a mixer.

 

[foodstorm]

I remember the days when I started working professionally in a kitchen...seems a rite of passage is to make meringue and whipped cream by hand....in the walk-in refrigerator!.

I love hearing from professionals about these things. Every time I eat out now I think about what's going on behind the scenes. Wow, VeraBlue, that's pretty brutal. I can understand how the restaurant would expect you to know HOW to do it all by hand, but I'd have thought that they'd use giant mixers, simply due to the volume of cream needed in a restaurant. Now I think I might have a twinge of guilt the next time I order something with meringue or whipped cream...

 

[college_cook]

Wow, VeraBlue, that's pretty brutal. I can understand how the restaurant would expect you to know HOW to do it all by hand, but I'd have thought that they'd use giant mixers, simply due to the volume of cream needed in a restaurant. Now I think I might have a twinge of guilt the next time I order something with meringue or whipped cream...

They do use mixers, generally. Hand-whisking is just something they make you do when you're a newbie. As soon as you make some good whipped cream or meringue, they'll respect you for your efforts.

 

[VeraBlue]

They do use mixers, generally. Hand-whisking is just something they make you do when you're a newbie. As soon as you make some good whipped cream or meringue, they'll respect you for your efforts.

and show you where the mixer was hidden!!!!

 

[college_cook]

and show you where the mixer was hidden!!!!

They were nice to hide it for you. The cooks I work with kept it right in plain sight and used it to whip cream for other things. While they let the machine do they work they would say: "Dave, hurry up man. Look how fast I can get my cream whippped. You should be faster than that."


It was frustrating at first but helped me gain some speed, and thats always handy.