The importance of raw materials and balance in the manufacture of ice cream

​Analyzing the composition of an ice cream, we find, on the one hand, water as the quantitatively most important element, and on the other hand, solid elements, mainly fats, lean milk, neutrals, and sugars. The first balance exercise will consist of achieving a perfect conjunction between solid elements and water. Not a single drop of free water can remain, but neither can there be a single gram of dry matter unrelated to water.

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​This relationship can occur in several ways, depending on the type of solid in question.  Thus, some solids, such as sugars for example, melt in the water creating what we know as a true or natural solution.  Others, such as fat, never melt in water, so it is necessary to disperse this material into tiny particles, "bind" them and hold them in a stable manner together with the also tiny drops of water, in a state of emulsion or suspension.

RAW MATERIALS

If in the preparation of two identical ice creams we use the same formula and the same process, but nevertheless we start with ingredients of different quality in each case, the final result of both products will be different in terms of flavor and aroma.

Therefore, to make top quality ice cream, that is, one that meets the most demanding requirements in terms of flavour, texture and temperature, it is essential to apply the correct technique and carry out the most appropriate production process. But it is no less important to have the best ingredients we can find.

Furthermore, in terms of profitability, the price difference between two ingredients, one high-end and the other medium quality, is minimal considering that the quantity used in a liter of ice cream is small, and that out of this liter of ice cream you get a large number of servings. Finally, our ice cream will have greater commercial value the better the ingredients used, and our professional satisfaction will also be greater if we make an ice cream starting from the best of the best.

THE BALANCE

Elements as diverse as sugars, fats, powdered milk, neutrals (stabilizers or emulsifiers), water or air itself, among others, are involved in ice cream. And it is necessary that all of them are combined and in perfect balance. Making this coexistence possible, taking into account the characteristics and behavior of each ingredient and the relationships between all of them, is what is known as the ice cream balancing exercise.

Saying that not all ice creams are the same may be obvious. Little do they resemble each other a chocolate ice cream, with a high content of vegetable fat, one of liquor, an antifreeze element by definition, and a fruit sorbet, with little solid matter and total absence of fat. Despite their notable differences, these three types of ice cream must have the same texture, the same amount of air incorporated and will also have to coexist under the same temperature. In other words, three different ice creams that must nevertheless meet the same taste, texture or structure requirements, marked by the amount of air incorporated, and temperature, which has to do with its power of resistance to freezing.

The differences between these three types of ice cream prevent us from applying the same treatment in equilibrium.

Thus, it will be necessary to contemplate as many balances as types of ice cream that can be made, rejecting the idea of ​​a single formula.  Without ignoring the nuances that can occur within each type, we can classify the world of ice cream into 16 large families or categories:

White cream
Egg yolk cream
fruit sorbet
yogurt cream
Chocolate cream (couvertures, cocoa)
Nuts cream (hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios)
Fruit or citrus cream
Spices cream or infusion of aromatic herbs
Spice sorbet or infusion of aromatic herbs
liqueur cream
liqueur sorbet
Fruit sorbet with cava
"salty" creams
"salty" sorbets
Hypocaloric creams
Low-calorie sorbets

AussieBlends® offers a wide variety of Ice Cream Mixes to cover the requirements of ice cream makers.  We made each blend with prime GMO-Free ingredients.  Kosher, Halal, Gluten-Free.  Dairy Blends made with grass-fed cattle milk (same powder milk used for infant formula).  Each Mix contains only natural ingredients.  Made with Sugar, no added corn syrup.