What aisle is heavy cream in?

Question: Where is heavy cream in the grocery store?

Answer: Heavy cream is a dairy product like milk. It contains approximately 38 percent fat which makes its texture much thicker than regular milk. Heavy cream is used for making foods like whipped cream, ice cream, and creamy soups. It does require refrigeration just like regular milk.

You can find heavy cream next to the refrigerated milk in the dairy section of your grocery store. It is often located adjacent to other creams like whipping cream, half-and-half, and light cream.

Confused about which type of cream to buy? Learn about heavy cream vs whipping cream so your recipe turns out just right.

You’re in the dairy aisle looking at all the different creams. There’s heavy whipping cream, heavy cream and whipping cream. How do you know what to buy when you want to make whipped cream, cream sauce or creamy potato soup? What about when the store is out of your first choice and you need a substitute?

Here’s an explanation of heavy cream vs whipping cream to help you understand what’s behind each product’s name.

Heavy Cream vs. Whipping Cream

Laws determine which products can be labeled and sold as cream in the United States. These laws are spelled out in a tome called the Code of Federal Regulations. One section of the code describes heavy cream, and another section describes whipping cream.

What Is Heavy Cream?

Heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream) must contain at least 36% milkfat. It must be pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. It does not have to be homogenized. (Homogenization disperses fat globules throughout for a uniform creaminess; non-homogenized dairy products have the cream floating on top.)

It also doesn’t have to be pure cream. The FDA allows producers to add certain ingredients to heavy cream, including emulsifiers, stabilizers, sweeteners and flavorings. The product must be labeled as such.

For comparison, light cream has 18% to 30% milkfat, and half-and-half has 10.5% to 18% milkfat. Milk contains at least 3.25% milkfat.

What Is Whipping Cream?

Federal regulations don’t set standards for “whipping cream,” but rather for light whipping cream. It must have 30% to 36% milkfat. Just like heavy cream, it can also have flavorings or sweeteners added, can be homogenized or not, and must be pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized, and these things should be noted on the label.

The Bottom Line

In sum, the difference here is that heavy cream has the most fat—36% or more. Whipping cream has 30-36% milkfat.

Reading the Labels on Different Types of Cream

Checking the packaging or the company’s website is the best way to find out what a cream’s milkfat content is and whether it has any food additives.

If the label doesn’t state the fat content, you can get an idea by checking the nutrition facts. The more grams of fat, the more milk fat.

For example:

  • Straus Family Creamery’s organic heavy whipping cream is 36% milkfat. It doesn’t have any stabilizers or thickeners, and it’s not ultra-pasteurized. (A high fat content is also the secret behind Amish butter.)
  • Organic Valley’s pasteurized heavy whipping cream is 40% butterfat. The company also sells an ultra-pasteurized version in nearly identical packaging.
  • Kroger‘s store brand creams don’t state their milk fat content, but the regular whipping cream has 45 calories per tablespoon, while the heavy whipping cream has 50 calories per tablespoon, indicating a higher fat content. You may find additives such as carrageenan, mono and diglycerides, and polysorbate 80 in their creams.

Can I Use Whipping Cream Instead of Heavy Cream?

In most recipes, yes, you can use whipping cream as a substitute for heavy cream.

If you like to keep a stocked kitchen so you can cook whatever strikes your fancy, pasteurized heavy cream or pasteurized heavy whipping cream will be the most versatile, but they also have a shorter shelf life. Ultra-pasteurized products will keep almost four times as long.

Up Next: 34 Recipes That Use Up Extra Heavy Whipping Cream

Finding heavy cream in grocery store can prove to be a hard task especially if you are in a hurry that is why this article directs you straight to where you can find heavy cream in grocery store. The article also has a list of popular stores that usually sell heavy cream so you can always buy from there.

Contents

  • 1 Which section or aisle to find heavy cream in grocery store
  • 2 What grocery stores sell heavy cream
  • 3 How to use heavy cream
    • 3.1 Use heavy cream to make whipped cream
    • 3.2 Use heavy cream when making ice cream
    • 3.3 Use heavy cream when making soups
    • 3.4 Use heavy cream when making pasta
  • 4 How to store heavy cream
    • 4.1 Store heavy cream in the refrigerator
    • 4.2 Storing heavy cream in the freezer
  • 5 How to store powdered heavy cream
  • 6 Conclusion

Which section or aisle to find heavy cream in grocery store

You can find heavy cream at the dairy section in grocery store. It will be placed in a refrigerator next to things like milk, half and half and whipping cream.

If you do not find heavy cream in the above stated area then you can opt to buy the heavy cream powder. Heavy cream powder can be found in the aisle with coffee creamers in grocery store.

What grocery stores sell heavy cream

Amazon– this is the best place to buy heavy cream mainly because you will come across different brands. They also sell heavy cream powder which you can try out. Shopping on Amazon is very easy since it is an online store.

Walmart– check the dairy section for heavy cream. They usually have different brands to choose from. Walmart also sells heavy cream powder so you can also try it out.

Kroger– they usually have heavy cream at the dairy section so you can always buy from there. If you are searching for a specific brand of heavy cream then try checking on their website, they usually display the available options.

Target– check the dairy aisle at Target they sometimes have heavy cream in stock.

Whole foods market– heavy cream can be found at Whole foods market at the dairy section. They usually have a variety of brands to choose from.

Meijer– check the dairy section at Meijer that is where heavy cream is usually kept.

Safeway– check the dairy aisle for heavy cream they usually have it. If you do not find it you can opt to buy the heavy whipping cream which is also available at the dairy section.

Publix– they sell heavy cream at the dairy aisle and they also have their own store brand of heavy whipping cream which you can try out.

Albertsons– check the dairy section you might be lucky enough to find heavy cream. Alternatively you can always buy the heavy whipping cream which is always available in store.

Vons– if there is Vons in your area then you can buy heavy cream there, they usually have a variety of brands to choose from.

Wegmans– heavy cream can be found at the dairy section at Wegmans so you can always buy from there.

Hannaford– they usually have heavy cream in stock at the dairy section so you can always buy from there.

Food Lion– they usually have heavy cream in store so you can always buy from there.

H-E-B– check for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream at the dairy section.

How to use heavy cream

Use heavy cream to make whipped cream

This is actually one of the easiest ways of using heavy cream since you do not need any special skills to make the whipped cream. All you have to do is to just whisk or whip the heavy cream until it has a consistency which is similar to whipped cream. You can use the whipped cream when eating things like pancakes, coffee or even ice cream.

Use heavy cream when making ice cream

Heavy cream can also be used to make homemade ice cream, all you have to do is to mix all the ingredients together and place them in an ice cream maker. If you do not have an ice cream maker then you can always use a blender all you have to do is to search for the ingredients you will need.

Use heavy cream when making soups

Heavy cream is a wonderful addition to soups since it helps to thicken them up. Use heavy cream when making cream based soups like mushroom, potato, broccoli and many others. It will also help the soups to become creamier and flavourful. If you would like to prevent curdling in the soup then try adding the heavy cream at the end.

Use heavy cream when making pasta

To make your pasta dish creamier you can always add heavy cream. You can also add the heavy cream to a tomato based sauce which you can then pour on top of the pasta. Heavy cream can also be used to make Alfredo.

Store heavy cream in the refrigerator

NB: this method stores heavy cream for up to a month.

Heavy cream should always be stored in the refrigerator this is because it contains milk which is highly perishable when stored at room temperature. When storing heavy cream in the refrigerator you need to ensure that the container is tightly closed. This will help to prevent any bacteria from getting inside. Place the heavy cream at the back of the fridge and not at the door. This will help the heavy cream to maintain a stable temperature and retain its flavour and texture for a long time.

Storing heavy cream in the freezer

NB: this method preserves heavy cream for months however, it tends to sacrifice the texture of the heavy cream.

When storing heavy cream in the freezer you need to place it in an air tight container, this will help to prevent bacteria from getting inside. Label the container with the date in which you are storing the heavy cream. This will help you to remember when it’s likely to turn bad.

How to store powdered heavy cream

Powdered heavy cream can be stored at room temperature in a cool and dry place. It has a longer shelf life as compared to ordinary heavy cream.

Conclusion

Finding heavy cream in grocery store is very easy when you follow this store guide. Remember to always store heavy cream in the refrigerator after purchasing it since it is highly perishable.

What section is heavy cream in?

You can find heavy cream next to the refrigerated milk in the dairy section of your grocery store. It is often located adjacent to other creams like whipping cream, half-and-half, and light cream.

Is heavy cream refrigerated in stores?

Yes. Heavy whipping cream is a perishable dairy product and must be stored in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage.

What is heavy cream called in the grocery store?

A: Heavy cream is commonly found at grocery stores labeled 'heavy whipping cream.” You might find some products labeled 'heavy cream.” They are the same. Heavy whipping cream is cream that has a milk fat content of 36-40 percent.

Is heavy cream and heavy whipping cream the same thing?

Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names. According to the US Food and Drug Administration's labelling standards, heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat.