Commercial Stabilizers

Cobasan is a “miracle” product from Germany that stabilizes whipped cream. A tiny quantity added before whipping the cream emulsifies the fat so effectively that the whipped cream can hold up for as long as 6 hours at room temperature. It does not work with ultra-pasturized cream as the higher heat from this process alters the fat molecules. Cobasan is available from Albert Uster Imports (see Ingredients Sources). It seems to have an indefinite shelf life—mine is more than twenty years old.

There are stabilizers that also work with ultra-pasteurized cream: Sanifax, available from PatisFrance (see Ingredients Sources), is another excellent stabilizer from Germany. “Whip It,” from Oetker in Canada, is available to consumers at some supermarkets and in specialty stores. It is a powder consisting of dextrose, modified food starch, and tricalcium phosphate. It makes the whipped cream a little less airy, adds a slightly ivory color, and gives it a slight sweetness.