Curdling

Curdling is the process of separating a product into a liquid part and curds: for example, under the action of enzymes or acid, casein separates from milk while the other proteins pass into the whey. In chemistry, the process of curdling is called coagulation.

Curdling occurs within a few seconds. Increased temperature, the addition of acid or enzymes usually contribute to curdling.

Dough, cream, sauces, whipped cream, and dressings can curdle if the individual ingredients have different temperatures.

To prevent cream sauce from curdling during cooking, try taking the ingredients out of the refrigerator a few hours before cooking and letting them warm to room temperature.

To prevent cream and sour cream from curdling during cooking, choose quality and fatty options. If they do curdle, you can try a few tricks. For example, dilute the fatty cream or sour cream with water in a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3. Stir the products while heating: this will help achieve an even texture.