Like the artisan one, homemade ice cream requires a basic study of the mixture. A good ice cream, in fact, cannot and should not be considered a random mixture of frozen raw materials.
How to proceed?
Here is an example of a very simple fiordilatte ice cream, prepared with:
- 500 ml of milk
- 50 g of cream
- 130 g of sugar
- 25 g of dextrose
- 4 g of stabilizer (carob seed flour)
- 14 g of inulin
Analyzing the nutrients present in each ingredient, we find out if this formula is balanced or if we need to make some changes.
Let's proceed by step:
- Divide each raw material in the group to which it belongs (sugars, fats, SLNG, other solids). In our case we have:
- Sugars: sucrose and dextrose
- Fats: milk and cream
- SLNG: milk and cream proteins and lactose
- Other solids: inulin, stabilizer
- Calculate the amount of total sugars (sugar limits in cream ice cream mixes: 16-22%)
Sucrose provides 100% sugar (130 g) and dextrose 80% sugar (80% of 25g is 20g). The total sugar is 130 + 20 = 150 g .
Calculating that the weight of the mixture is 723 g (500 + 50 + 130 + 25 + 4 + 14), the percentage of sugars (x) is calculated by applying a simple proportion, placing the unknown quantity x as the percentage of sugars to be calculated:
150: 723 = x: 100
x (% sugar) = 20.7% sugar
Sugars are perfectly balanced.
- Calculate the total amount of fat (fat limits in cream ice cream mixes: 6-10%)
Whole milk supplies 3g of fat per 100g of milk. We have 500 ml of milk, so the total fat will be 15 g. The cream provides 20 g of fat per 100 g of product. In this case we have 50 g of cream, or 10 g of fat. Total fats are 25 g (15 + 10).
As for sugars, also for fats we will have to calculate the percentage quantity starting from the grams calculated, through the following proportion:
150: 723 = x: 10025: 723 = x: 100
x (%) = 3.5% fat
Fats are unbalanced because the recommended minimum limit is 6%. - In this second case, the total amount of sugars must also be recalculated / corrected because an increase in cream (specifically) also involves an increase in the total weight of the mixture. The balance of each individual ingredient must be reviewed and possibly corrected when the quantity of another component in the mixture is changed.
Please note
In this formulation we have added the inulin which, as we know, acts as a substitute for fats, or rather gives the body and structure of the ice cream: the inulin therefore compensates for the lack of fat in the mixture .
In high terms, if we did not add inulin to the mixture, we should increase the amount of cream because the fats are below the recommended minimum limit. In this case, however, we have added the inulin which allows us to keep the fat levels in the mixture low.
However, the following is also the ideal percentage of fat for an ice cream formulated, regardless of the amount of inulin present in the mixture.
Considering that the minimum quantity of fat recommended in a cream ice cream is 6%, we should increase the quantity of cream, taking it for example to 150g.
In the latter case, the total fat grams will be 15 (of milk) + 30 (of cream) = 45g, which corresponds to 6.2% fat (obtained from the proportion 45: 723 = x: 100).
- Calculate the amount of SLNG (SLNG limits in an ice cream mixture: 9-12%)
To calculate the quantity of Non-Fat Milk Solids the following general formula must be applied:
[100- (% Sugar +% Fat + Other Solids%)] x 0.15
We have found that sugars are present in a percentage equal to 20.7% and balanced fats represent 6.2% of the mixture: now we have to calculate the percentage of the other solids (dry residue) starting from the quantity of inulin and stabilizer. In this mixture we find 14 g of inulin + 4 g of stabilizer (total solids = 18 g). Now let's transform the grams into a percentage, applying the proportion 18: 743 = x: 100
We find that the unknown x is equal to 2.4% (percentage corresponding to the dry residue present in the mixture).
So now we can find out if the SLNGs are balanced by applying the general formula:
[100- (20.7 + 6.2 + 2.4)] * 0.15 = 10.6% SLNG
- 500 ml of milk
- 150 g of cream (not more than 50g, as we had previously established)
- 130 g of sugar
- 25 g of dextrose
- 4 g of stabilizer
- 14 g of inulin
- Now that the mixture is balanced, we can proceed with the MIXING of the ingredients.
In a saucepan, milk, cream and sugars should be poured.
In this phase also carob flour can be added: we remind, however, that the action of this stabilizer starts when it reaches 80 ° C.
The compound must therefore be emulsified with a manual whisk or, better still, with an immersion mixer.
Subsequently, the mixture must be heated until it reaches 45 ° C. At this point, we can add the inulin.
- Then proceed with the PASTEURIZATION of the compound: to speed up the process, it is preferable to choose high pasteurization, which is carried out by bringing the mixture to 80 ° C and maintaining the temperature for 2 minutes.
- The pasteurized mixture must then be cooled as quickly as possible, soaking the pan in a bowl with water and ice. Everything must then be left to stand (MIXTURE MATURATION) in the fridge for 6-12 hours. The rest of the mixture serves to promote the hydration of solid substances and to reduce the formation of coarse ice crystals during the subsequent freezing phase.
- At this point, the mixture can be poured into the homemade ice cream maker (GELATURA OR MANTECATURA) and left to cream for 10-20 minutes, until the desired consistency is reached.
For further consolidation of the mass, the ice cream can be placed in a tray in the freezer for a couple of hours.
SLNGs are also balanced.
The balanced mixture is thus formulated as follows:
Stracciatella ice cream
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeWho does not own the ice cream maker, can still enjoy the preparation of ice cream respecting all the steps described up to the maturation of the mixture.
At this point, the balanced mixture of ingredients should be poured into a large bowl with low edges, so it should be left to rest in the freezer. After 15-20 minutes, the tray must be removed from the freezer and the mixture properly mixed, first with a whisk, then with a rigid scoop. The operation must be repeated every 15-20 minutes, for about 2 hours or until the ice cream is consolidated. It is important to thicken the mixture often to favor the incorporation of air into the ice cream, to avoid the crystallization of water and to obtain an ice cream with an optimal consistency.
A practical example of ice cream made without an ice cream maker is available in the video recipe for athletes "hazelnut protein ice cream".
