The histamine content of cream: What you should know
Cream is a versatile and popular ingredient used in many dishes. Whether in sweet desserts or creamy sauces – cream adds a wonderful creaminess and rich flavor to many foods. In the following blog post, we will look at the different types of cream, their use in histamine-friendly cuisine, and some delicious recipes where cream takes center stage.
These are the different types of cream
- Whipped Cream: Also known as sweet cream, it is probably the best known and most frequently used type. It has a fat content of at least 30% and can be whipped stiff. This makes it an excellent topping for desserts such as cakes, ice cream, or fruits.
- Crème fraîche: This is a thickened cream with a fat content of about 30-40%. It has a slightly creamy taste and a creamy consistency. Crème fraîche is usually used to refine sauces, soups, or dips. It is also a popular ingredient in savory dishes such as casseroles or potato gratin.
- Sour cream: It is also often called sour half-and-half, as it is a thick cream with a fat content of about 20-30%. The difference from crème fraîche lies mainly in its sour taste. Sour cream is often used in savory recipes such as Mexican dishes, soups, or salad dressings. Due to its sour taste, it adds a fresh note to many dishes.
- Schmand (German sour cream): It is a sour variant of sweet cream with a fat content of approx. 20%. It has a thick consistency and a creamy taste with a slight sour note. It is mainly used in German cuisine for dips, sauces, or cake fillings.
- Vegan alternatives: For people who suffer from lactose intolerance or prefer a vegan diet, there are now a variety of vegan alternatives. The best-known alternatives, which are also suitable for a low-histamine diet, include oat cream (1), almond-based cream (1), or coconut-based cream. The plant-based alternatives are ideal for cooking, baking, or as a topping for desserts. Oat cream and almond-based cream are declared with 1 according to the SIGHI list, so their tolerability should be tested individually for a low-histamine diet.
Cream and histamine: All you need to know about tolerability
Cream is suitable for the following diets:
- low-histamine diet
- low-fructose diet
- gluten-free diet
- low-salicylate diet
- low-sorbitol diet
- low-nickel diet
- lactose-free diet
For a lactose-free diet, as mentioned above, it makes sense to use a vegan alternative.
Cream and its use in low-histamine cuisine
Cream is extremely versatile in the kitchen and offers many advantages. It can give a sauce or soup a creamy texture and make it smoother. In addition, cream can also serve as a binding agent for baked goods to give them more moisture. Adding cream to a pan of vegetables or pasta increases the complexity of the flavor and gives the dish a luxurious touch. Additionally, cream is an ideal base for homemade ice cream, as it results in a rich and creamy consistency.
Cream is excellent for giving sauces a particularly creamy consistency. As a suitable base, we recommend our Organic Vegetable Sauce – a tomato-free alternative for pasta, casseroles, or other Mediterranean dishes. In combination with cream or a plant-based cream alternative, a creamy sauce is created in no time, suitable for a low-histamine, gluten-free, and lactose-free diet.
Lieferzeit: 2-3 Tage
The comparison with other dairy products
In the world of dairy products, there is a variety of options that are used in recipes and as standalone foods. In addition to cream, there are other dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and quark. While cream, with its high fat content and ability to be whipped stiff, represents a luxurious element in recipes, milk is a versatile all-rounder with a mild taste. Yogurt and quark offer a healthier alternative to cream and milk, with probiotic benefits and a creamy consistency.
Practical tips for handling cream in everyday low-histamine life
Shopping: If you value sustainability and animal welfare, it is advisable to buy cream in organic quality. By the way, quality is not a question of price for cream. Whether from a discounter or a high-quality brand, the content is always the same for fresh and long-life cream. As mentioned above, for a low-histamine diet, it is also advisable to pay attention to a long shelf life, as the histamine content in these products is the lowest. Furthermore, when buying cream, you should make sure that no incompatible additives such as sodium citrate, potassium citrate, or calcium citrate are included.
Storage: Like all dairy products, cream also likes it cool and therefore belongs in the refrigerator. Once opened, the cream should be used as quickly as possible, as the histamine content in opened cream increases rapidly.
Delicious low-histamine recipes with cream
Below we have compiled three delicious recipes with cream as an ingredient for you.
No-Bake Cheesecake
The recipe is: low-histamine, gluten-free
You need the following ingredients for one 22cm baking pan:
Cookie base:
- 250g gluten-free oat cookies (1)
- 150g butter
- 250g white chocolate (1)
- 500g double cream cheese
- 120g powdered sugar
- 350ml cream
- 200g white chocolate (1)
- 150ml cream
Vegan Potato and Cabbage Gratin
The recipe is: low-histamine, lactose-free, vegan
You need the following ingredients for 1 serving:
- 400g Savoy cabbage (1), pointed cabbage or white cabbage
- 500g potatoes
- 1 onion (1)
- 40ml frying olive oil
- 40g spelt flour
- 200ml oat cream (1)
- 200ml HistaFood Organic Vegetable Broth
- 20g vegan grated cheese
- Salt
Sheet Pan Apple Cake
The recipe is: low-histamine, vegetarian
You need the following ingredients for 1 small baking sheet (approx. 40x36cm)
- 1kg apples
- 187g spelt flour
- 1/2 packet cream of tartar baking powder
- 50g butter
- 2 tbsp milk
- 200g whipping cream
- 125g coconut blossom sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 packet vanilla sugar
- 75g almond slivers (1)
- Butter for the baking sheet
Are you looking for more low-histamine products for your everyday life? Then our HistaStarter Set might be just right for you. It contains a selection of our most popular organic foods and helps you prepare varied and delicious meals for a low-histamine diet – ideal for trying out or as an introduction to a low-histamine everyday life.
Lieferzeit: 2-3 Tage
Sources:
- Dairy products & Whipping Cream
- Das große Lexikon der Lebensmittel, Südwest Verlag GmbH, 1998
