Home made ice cream

[seaboy4hire]

Anyone out there make their own ice cream? I made mines a couple weeks ago just a regular vanilla one and it tasted way super better than the store bought crap! But my only problem was after a couple days lots of ice crystals started to form and it altered the taste a bit. I am about to make another batch and pre freezing the container I am storing the ice cream in in the back of the freezer set at the coldest setting. Any tips on preventing the nasty crystals from forming that you follow?

 

Hugs,

Greg

[gallahadesquire]

According to http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/918590:

 

Ice crystals are more prevalent in homemade ice cream because it takes longer to freeze the mix. When you can flash-freeze the ice cream to very low temperatures very quickly, there is less time for molecules to melt and refreeze, which causes crystal formation.

 

Some things that might help:

- when the ice cream is done transfer to the coldest part of the freezer as quickly as possible

- pre-freeze the ice cream bowl before using, and pre-freeze the storage container before putting the ice cream in it and into the freezer

- make sure the mix is very cold before using the machine. Maybe put the mix in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting the machine, so that it will finish faster

- avoid flavors with more water (e.g. strawberry) or alcohol -- try coffee or vanilla first & get that to work

- adding nonfat milk powder can add more texture and offset some of the crystallization

- increasing the sugar content should help

- adding a very small amount of stabilizer (like xanthan gum) will definitely help. however if you add more than a very little bit it will give you other textural problems (you can get a taffy-like effect)

[whipped guy]

When in undergrad the School of Agriculture offered a class in ice cream making. I never took the course but they did supply the school with ice cream. They also had a dairy bar where they sold it. Needless to say at the beginning of the semester the ice cream was more icy and at the end it was more creamy! It was especially good at final exam time... as in extra nuts in the maple walnut etc!

[+ LIguy]

Seaboy, I make my own ice cream occasionally and i have been adding a few tablespoons of vodka to the mix which keeps it from getting too hard when freezing. Also to get the creamiest texture use whole milk and heavy creams. Do not use Skim Plus or fat free half and half. Also don't use splenda use sugar and you can experiment with aguave as a sweetener. I usually only make vanilla, coffee and dark chocolate using Godiva hot chocolate powder mix.

I also make my own low fat greek yogurt which I use to make Ambrosia and I'm going to experiment with freezing it in the ice cream maker with a little vodka to keep it a little softer.

[Bosguy]

Raul G. Manzo (Chicago) makes incredible sorbet. Maybe he has some info for you.

 

Boston Bill

[seaboy4hire]

Seaboy, I make my own ice cream occasionally and i have been adding a few tablespoons of vodka to the mix which keeps it from getting too hard when freezing. Also to get the creamiest texture use whole milk and heavy creams. Do not use Skim Plus or fat free half and half. Also don't use splenda use sugar and you can experiment with aguave as a sweetener. I usually only make vanilla, coffee and dark chocolate using Godiva hot chocolate powder mix.

I also make my own low fat greek yogurt which I use to make Ambrosia and I'm going to experiment with freezing it in the ice cream maker with a little vodka to keep it a little softer.

 

Aint no artifical sweetners and non fat low fat crap going in my tummy! LOL

 

Hugs,

Greg

[whipped guy]

Raul G. Manzo (Chicago) makes incredible sorbet. Maybe he has some info for you.

 

Boston Bill

Yes, I meant to mention Raul as well. Plus, he has experimented with many unorthodox favors. He has used herbs and even made a basil flavored ice cream. If a Tabasco pepper flavored ice cream is possible that would elicit sensations of fire and ice, I am quite sure that Raul as tried it! Just one more facet to this well rounded individual. So I agree! He may indeed be able to give you some tips as well!

[+ g56whiz]

Aint no artifical sweetners and non fat low fat crap going in my tummy! LOL

 

Wait till you're a diabetic with cardiovascular problems. It's either artificial sweeteners (Stivia ain't artificial and tastes OK b/t/w) and low fat or no ice cream at all alas.

[seaboy4hire]

Wait till you're a diabetic with cardiovascular problems. It's either artificial sweeteners (Stivia ain't artificial and tastes OK b/t/w) and low fat or no ice cream at all alas.

 

I have a good diet hardly anything I eat comes from the aisles of the store. 98% of what I eat comes from the perimeter of the store. Rarely do I purchase boxed or canned food and I stay away from hfc.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[seaboy4hire]

Looks like pre freezing the container I store ice cream in, in the back of the freezer with it set to the lowest setting works. Super hard ice cream but no ice crystals this time. This is the recipe I used and can vouch it is mighty good! http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/true-vanilla-ice-cream It will for sure be on my ice cream menu. Now I am debating between a nice dark stout ice cream or Kahlua ice cream once this batch is gone. I think by summer I am going to need to purchase a chest freezer lol

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

P.S. After scraping the vanilla bean pod (always keep extras in an air tight container in the dark) I tossed the bean in the base and let it chill over night. Gave the ice cream a wee bit more of a vanilla kick.

[bobchitown]

Stout is not the flavor I'd begin with until mastering the basics. The alcohol in Stout messes up the freezing point to the extent that the first batch I made never froze completely. One needs a good recipe and then you need to follow the measurements exactly, or it won't work. It is, however, delicious.

[seaboy4hire]

Stout is not the flavor I'd begin with until mastering the basics. The alcohol in Stout messes up the freezing point to the extent that the first batch I made never froze completely. One needs a good recipe and then you need to follow the measurements exactly, or it won't work. It is, however, delicious.

 

Care to share your recipe?

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ LIguy]

interesting source for info.....http://icecreamforums.com/

[seaboy4hire]

interesting source for info.....http://icecreamforums.com/

 

LI thanks for the link to the forum! Gonna poke around there for a spell. I have a feeling it might be a very valuable source of info for a venture I'm working on.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ Chris Eisenhower]

When I was in SFO I had the privilege of getting ice cream at Smitten's, which makes your ice cream to order. It was excellent.

 

Even better was the homemade ice cream I got to try made by my friend. Three flavors: buttermilk, strawberry balsamic, and maple candied-bacon. All three were among the best I've ever had.