Ice creams and sorbets
In common parlance, the term sorbet is erroneously used to indicate various "iced" preparations, when in reality the definition of this confectionery specialty is not so trivial and obvious.
By definition, the sorbet is made up of water, sugars and pulp / fruit juice : these three basic elements of the sorbet must be in a precise relationship, in which the sugars must not fall below 22% or exceed 30% of the weight of the mixture.
Often, in the base mixture of the sorbet, an alcohol component is not missing - wine, vodka, liqueur etc. - able to lower the freezing point of the mass (which is why it is a good rule not to exceed the doses). It is not uncommon, however, to also find the egg white (or a part of Italian meringue) in the sorbet mixture: the aim is not only to obtain a more frothy and soft sorbet, but also to lower the freezing point and prevent the formation of coarse ice crystals.
Unlike ice cream, the sorbet has a semi-dense and less compact appearance. Furthermore, being free of thickeners, the sorbet tends to melt rather quickly: for this reason, it is not advisable to serve the cone sorbet, preferring the glass or cup.
Originally, the sorbet had a purely digestive function: for this reason it was often served during important lunches, after the first courses and before the roast, in order to "clean the palate".
Today, the formulation of the modern (real) sorbet is very close to that of a fruit ice cream.
Please note
A sorbet prepared without alcohol and without egg white can be considered a fruit ice cream in all respects.
Although lemons, oranges and citrus fruits in general are the most appreciated fruits for preparing sorbets, it is not so difficult to find "sorbets" with a coffee or mint flavor.
Kiwi sorbet
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeCream, cream and fruit ice cream
The assortment of latest-generation ice creams is so vast that it makes the formulation of a specific recipe by type of taste almost unthinkable.
The in-depth knowledge of the chemical-physical properties of the basic components for ice cream (water, sugar, fats) has allowed the ice-cream maker to develop an almost universal method for making the mixtures.
To facilitate (and speed up) the delicate task of the ice cream maker, the mixtures have been standardized, preparing the so-called "bases" for ice cream in advance:
- Yellow base or egg base for cream ice creams
- Milk base or white base for cream ice creams
- Water base or fruit base for fruit ice creams
The choice of a "fruit base" rather than a "cream base" is not constrained so much by taste, or by the organoleptic nature of ice cream. The determining factor is rather the quantity of total sugars, the presence (or absence) of fats and the degree of acidity of the constituents of the mixture.
ICE CREAM "YELLOW BASE" OR "EGG BASED"
The yellow bases (also called egg bases or cream bases) are mixtures for preparing quality ice creams in which the use of egg yolks is expected.
The main components of mixtures of this type are:
- Whole or semi-skimmed milk
- Fresh cream
- Egg yolks
- Sugars
Normally, the "yellow bases" are used to make chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, torroncino, vanilla, amaretto, mascarpone, zabaglione, malaga etc ...
The percentage of sugars recommended in this type of mixture is between 16 and 22%.
The ideal quantity of fat fluctuates between 6 and 12% (of the mixture weight).
ICE CREAM "BASE BIANCA" OR "BASE LATTE"
The "white base" for ice cream (or milk base) corresponds to the classic fiordilatte taste and is composed of:
- Whole or semi-skimmed milk
- Fresh cream or cream
- Sugars
From a nutritional point of view, it is a base for ice cream that is placed halfway between the yellow base (enriched with egg yolks) and the fruit base (rich in sugars but free of fat).
The "milk bases" are mixtures indicated for preparing liquorice, cocoa, mint, stracciatella, pistachio, nougat, coffee, cream, fiordilatte etc ..
Yogurt ice cream is always prepared with a white base.
Please note
Some ice cream flavors can be indifferently prepared with a white base mix or a yellow base: the choice of "basic ice cream" is at the discretion of the ice cream maker.
There is therefore no general and standardized rule for the production of ice cream: what matters is the correct balance of the mixture.
Similar to "yellow base" ice creams, even in cream mixtures the sugars should be between 16 and 22%, while the quantity of fat should fluctuate between 6 and 12% (of the total weight).
ICE CREAM "BASE FRUTTA" OR "BASE ACQUA"
Normally, fruit ice creams do not include the addition of fats. In the formula of the mixture, only water, sugars and fruit juice (and / or pulp) appear, thus excluding milk, cream and other fats.
By not adding any fat component, the formula does not include the common ingredients of ice cream, namely lactose, milk protein and fat (the amount of SLNG is clearly zero). This means that the mixture appears slightly unbalanced in terms of total solids. Precisely to increase the quantity of the latter, it is necessary to increase the total solids by adding sugars. Not surprisingly, a mixture of "water-based" fruit ice cream differs from that of cream or cream ice creams for the greatest quantity of sugar, which varies between 26 and 30% .
To find out the exact amount of sugar (sucrose, dextrose, etc.) to be added to the mixture of water and juice / fruit pulp, it is essential to know precisely the sugar content of each type of fruit. This factor is crucial to obtain a quality, creamy and never frozen ice cream. As we know, however, the sugar content in a fruit varies depending on the quality, its degree of ripeness and, clearly, based on the type of fruit chosen.
For this reason, we always recommend the use of ripe and quality fruit, and to respect the seasonality.
Some fruit ice creams can be prepared with a milk base: for example, fruits such as strawberries, bananas, apricots, peaches and coconut are often added to "milk base" blends. For the lemon, mandarin, melon and kiwi ice creams it is usual to use the classic "water base".
The table shows the correct values (percentage limits) to balance the various types of mixes for cream, cream and fruit ice cream.
| Type of base for ice cream | Sugars % | Fat% | SLNG% | Other solids | Total solids |
| Yellow base | 16-22 | 6-10 | 8-11 | 1-5 | 32-42 |
| White base | 16-22 | 6-10 | 8-11 | 1-5 | 32-42 |
| Water base | 26-30 | 0 | 0 | 0.2-0.5 | 30-35 |
