Custards too loose

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Every time I make a custard it sets up perfect in the fridge overnight. When I go to fold in a little homemade whipped cream, (both very cold from the fridge) it becomes so runny. I tried adding some cornstarch to thicken things up but I’m at a loss why this keeps happening. Any tips?
 
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Are you checking the temperature of the mixture to make sure you heat it to the correct temperature?

When the custard becomes watery, it means it wasn’t heated to the correct temperature.

Depending on the recipe most need to be heated 175°F – 180°F.

If the recipe contains cornstarch, the temperature is higher, 212°F is required for proper starch gelatinization to occur.

A starch like wheat flour has a lower starch gelatinization temperature, no more than 200°F.

Starch gelatinization occurs when the starch molecules absorbs water. At a certain point it absorbs so much water it actually burst. The contents (amylose and amylopectin) then mix with water molecules and essentially immobilize the water molecules. That’s what causes the thickening.

All starch gelatinization breaks down over time. It’s called retrogradation. When that happens the water molecules are released from the suspended state. When the starch gelatinization mass is made really robust, retrogradation happens very slowly.

Your custards are just reverting to retrogradation too quickly, most likely because of improper cooking techniques for the type of starch used.
 
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This is extremely helpful. This is not something YouTube videos tell you when attempting new recipes. I’m going to try again this weekend and monitor the temperature. Thank you!!
 
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This is extremely helpful. This is not something YouTube videos tell you when attempting new recipes. I’m going to try again this weekend and monitor the temperature. Thank you!!

Most of the people who make videos have never had any training. They just repeat stuff they see on other blogs.

But there are a few people with professional training.

These two videos will explain what happens in starch gelatinization in basic easy to understand terms. Starch gelatinization is a very important chemical to understand in baking. It effects structure, moisture content, shelf life (staling), texture, sweetness, and flavor.

Starch gelatinization







This video is by a company that produces various starches for commercial use. Home bakers only have access to one type of retail cornstarch, tapioca, and potato starch. But various types of starches are produced for different food application. Each one requires a different temperature and each has its on characteristics.

Penford starch gels 2:40 shows 6 starches
 
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Every time I make a custard it sets up perfect in the fridge overnight. When I go to fold in a little homemade whipped cream, (both very cold from the fridge) it becomes so runny. I tried adding some cornstarch to thicken things up but I’m at a loss why this keeps happening. Any tips?

Using cake flour instead of corn starch will give better stability, I find store bought heavy cream doesn't hold as well as the commercial stuff but you can add some gelatin to the still hot pastry cream and that will hold it.
1/2 oz gelatin powder per qt milk.
Soften the gelatin in just enough cold water to wet it, stir it into the hot pastry cream as soon as it comes off the flame, after its dissolved and dispersed go ahead and pour it out to cool.
Don't use any sugar in the whipped cream, that is another cause for problems.
and the pastry cream has to boil.

Try this, pastry cream in 7 minutes.

 

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