Ice Cream Ingredients

What could be a better time to enjoy a large 4 scoop sundae, than the hot summers. Ice creams are surely the best frozen dessert which are made from dairy products like milk and cream. They are then flavored with other ingredients like fruits, nuts, and sweeteners to make them delectable.

Every place has a different taste and style of making them, some are creamy, some are frosty, while some have an "extra" flavor added to them. But wherever you go, there are a few basic ingredients with which they are made, and without them the dessert will not qualify to be called an ice cream.

The meaning of the word ice cream may differ from one country to another, as they all have their own versions of this dessert. Besides the few basic ingredients, there are some more additional ones, which are used in these countries, to give this dessert a unique identity. Frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato, frozen custard are some other terms used for this.

The basic ingredients are, dairy products (milk and heavy cream), sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and flavoring agents. Apart from these, there are fruit pieces, nuts, and chocolate pieces, which can be added. The following descriptions will give you a better idea.

This is the main ingredient and is also known as milk fat. The reason because of which this is the prime ingredient is because, it helps to give a body to it and also renders a smooth texture to this dessert. It also lubricates the palate, as it has milk fats in it and increases the richness and flavor of this dessert.

It has a very good whipping ability when it is frozen, which develops due to fat destabilization. The best choice of source used for this milk fat is, fresh sweet cream form fresh sweet milk. There are other factors like cost and high calorific value, which also have to be considered while using this ingredient.

The concentrated skimmed milk or low fat skimmed milk powder, is a non fattening milk product and is used for several reasons. This non fat milk contains lactose, casein, minerals, and whey proteins. This ingredient is used to improve the texture. It also gives the body a snowy or flaky texture.

Sweeteners like sucrose and glucose improve the flavors in many ways. They improve the palatability of the product, enhance the flavor, and are usually the cheapest source of total solids. Sweeteners are also used as preservatives and thus, they are the easiest ingredients which can increase the shelf life. Corn syrup, in either liquid or dry form is also one of the most well-known sweeteners used.

The stabilizers, usually polysaccharides are the compounds which are responsible for adding viscosity to the mixture in its unfrozen state. Stabilizers also extend the shelf life by limiting ice recrystallization during storage. It doesn't let the ice cream become coarse and crystallized in a short span of storage time.

Some of the stabilizers used commercially are Xanthan gum, Sodium alginate, and gelatin. Emulsifiers on the other hand help in air distribution of the product for smooth eating and good meltdown. One of the best emulsifier is egg yolk, the others are, sorbitol and glycerides.

With these ingredients, the additional ones like fruits and nuts are also needed. With a combination of these ingredients, every ice cream tastes delicious and lip smacking. Thus, if you're making this dessert at home, make sure you use all these ingredients and give your family a delectable summer treat.