Cornish Clotted Cream

No Short Break to Cornwall is complete without sampling a delicious proper Cornish Cream Tea- scones heaped in strawberry jam served with dollops of Clotted Cream.

This is the method that my grandmother, Cornish and a true Cornwall countrywomen, used to make what she called scalded cream, but which all the cookery books today seem to describe as clotted cream. For authenticity the method has used exactly by her will be detailed as I remember.


Take 2 gallons of milk straight from the cow, preferably a high butterfat milk producer such as Jersey or Guernsey. Leave to stand undisturbed overnight in a large wide metal pan, giving the cream chance to rise to the top. The following morning heat slowly, (scald being the proper term) but do not let boil for about an hour. During this time undulations will form on the surface- a semi firm thick slightly yellow crust of cream.

Take off the heat, remove to a cold place, taking care not to disturb the crust. Leave to cool slowly. After 12 hours or so skim off the Cornish clotted cream crust using a wide bladed knife. Serve cold in a crystal glass bowl. Ideal when spread in dollops on a scone topped with lashings of real fruit strawberry jam with lashing of hot tea as part of a Cornish Cream Tea

Cornwall Clotted Cream

This is the method my grandmother used to make clotted cream some 40 years ago when she was still farming in Cornwall. It is far less glamorous than the method described above, and in her day was very hard work indeed. (If there are any Cornish clotted cream producers out there, could they let us know how it is actually produced today? Thank you)

Let a churn of milk, preferably high butterfat, stand overnight, giving any cream chance to rise to the surface. The following morning pass the milk into the bowl of a cream separator. Inside the separator are a series of cylindrical discs, all rotating at very high speed, 6000 to 9000 rpm, thanks to gearing as the handle is turned by hand. The heavier skimmed milk collects on the outer circumference, with the lighter cream remaining in the centre. The pressure of incoming milk from the bowl above forced the skimmed milk and cream out into separate collecting vessels. The faster the handle was turned the more cream could be separated, but one would be left with aching arms after only a few minutes.

Place cream in a cool place. Serve cold in a crystal glass bowl. Ideal when dolloped onto a warm scone, served with spoonfuls of real fruit strawberry jam and washed lashing of hot tea as part of a Cream Tea in Cornwall