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Ice Cream With No Machine

September 4, 2020Cole Whitney
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The Struggle:

Ice cream continues to be quite the common topic. Ice cream will always fascinate me since it’s a mixture of so many methods. It’s a semi frozen emulsion and foam. This week we were asked a pretty interesting question. “Can an ice cream be made without an ice cream machine”? This is an interesting question because we have many ingredients that help with the texture of ice cream. So the question is, is there a way we can make an ice cream that doesn’t require an ice cream churn?

 

“Is there a modern way to make ice cream without a churn?” 

 

No Mix, No Churn, Just Freeze?

So the answer is yes, there are many ways to make an ice cream without a traditional ice cream churn. But these methods still require some sort of mixing. Is there a way to make ice cream without the need for another step after mixing the ingredients. Simply mix and freeze? This is the question that came across my desk. So I took this as a challenge, these are the things that excite me. I did quite a bit of research and isn’t finding anything about a no freeze ice cream that didn’t look like a milk based granita. So I started thinking. Of all the ingredients we carry would this be possible? Unfortunately the answer is no. While you can get close to the right texture the process of churning the ice cream is really the defining factor. Adding ingredients like xanthan gum, perfect ice cream, and even polysorbate 80 can help emulsify, soften ice crystals, and prevent melting. But what they can’t do is mimic the agitation that a churn or even a hand mixer and a bowl of ice can. The mixing is such a vital part for the texture of ice cream or any frozen churned dessert. The constant movement is what helps keep those ice crystals short so that they can be softened by the other modern ingredients. Lastly, in my research there are other ways to shorten ice crystals through other means. Fast freezing can make for short ice crystals, so a stand mixer with ice cream base can be turned into ice cream in just a few seconds when using liquid nitrogen, or just a few minutes using dry ice. The faster an ice cream base freezes the less time it will have to for the ice crystals. Be mindful that liquid nitrogen and dry ice require protective gear to use properly. So the conclusion is yes you can make ice cream without a traditional churn, but you cannot just skip the mixing process all together. 

 

Do you have a recipe you just can’t seem to figure out? Shoot us an email or drop us a line and we will do our best to guide you to the right option.

 

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Comments (4)

Holli Green

August 4, 2021 11:45 am

How do i make ice cream with. Perfect icecream package

Cole Whitney

August 4, 2021 2:22 pm

Perfect Ice Cream can be added to any ice cream recipe at .2% of the total weight of the recipe. If your recipe yields 1000g of ice cream, you would add 2 grams of Perfect Ice Cream.

Paul Rothenberg

January 19, 2022 5:33 am

Is there an upper limit to the amount of vanilla bean paste that can be added to ice cream? I heard a commercial ice cream let’s had the most unique vanilla flavoring i’ve had. I attribute the flavor profile to how higher vanilla amount but I’m just guessing.

Scott Guerin

January 21, 2022 4:37 pm

There is not limit to the amount of flavoring you can add. You may be able to vary your flavorings to get a better effect. Vanilla bean and a small amount of clear vanilla extract can give a bright vanilla flavor.

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