To begin to talk about the stabilization of ice cream and sorbets, it is necessary to know What is an ice cream? And above all to know what are the basic ingredients to make them.
As a general definition, ice cream is the mixture of solid and liquid products, subjected to a negative temperature, in which it maintains its soft, creamy and airy texture.
And for its formulation we need to gather some basic ingredients for each recipe. Balancing these ingredients is fundamental and for this it is necessary to take into account the composition of each one of them.
The result must be 100% stabilized so that it can be kept at low temperatures and its texture when taken out of the freezer allows it to be served and consumed in the best conditions.
The fundamental ingredients in ice cream
The main ingredients involved in the preparation and stabilization of ice cream are air, water, sugars, fat, antifreeze, solids and liquids. In this post we will talk in essence about some of them and we will complement with the phases through which an ice cream is developed.
We must bear in mind that in the preparation of two identical ice creams, if we use the same formula and the same process, but nevertheless we start from ingredients of different quality in each case, the final result of both products will be different in terms of flavor and aroma.
Therefore, to produce and stabilize a top quality ice cream, that is, one that meets the most demanding requirements in terms of flavor, 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.
Air: the subtlety of ice cream
Without air, an ice cream would be a compact mass. The air provides a soft and delicate texture that helps the ice cream to melt smoothly and evenly on the palate.
Air is weightless, unfreezable and also insulating. A small amount of air is incorporated into the mix during the maturation phase, but the largest amount arrives naturally during ripening by stirring during cooling.
The air reduces the cold sensation in the ice cream and, in this sense, enhances the flavor.
An artisan ice cream has an average overrun* of 25-35%. An industrial ice cream can have a 100% volume increase.
*The air it gains in its incorporation into the ice cream after buttering.
Water
Water, regardless of the ingredients it comes from, is the main ingredient of ice cream. To achieve the ideal texture and balance, 55% to 70% water is necessary. Where does this water come from? In traditional ice cream this water was mainly incorporated as water from the milk.
Currently, apart from the water that we add directly in a sorbet, in ice cream we find water in the milk (88%), in the cream (60%), or in the fruit (80-90%) among others. Water is the only ingredient in the mixture that freezes at 0ºC and above.
In a mix, the water-solids mixture must be as homogeneous as possible, avoiding any water remaining in its pure state, i.e. free.
Sugars
The first thing to say about sugars is that without them there is no ice cream. Sugars have several technical functions in ice cream:
- Antifreeze.
- They provide solids.
- Enhances flavor.
- Binding power.
- Too much quantity makes overrun difficult.
As far as texture is concerned, the different sugars each have different crystals and in this sense offer different textures and also have a certain “binding” power that also provides a textural characteristic. In general, it is considered that the sum of sugars should have a minimum of 14% and a maximum of 24% of the total mixture. In this sense, they constitute the majority of the “solids” in the mixture.
On the other hand, an excess of sugars would hinder the incorporation of air into the ice cream.
The sweetening power (POD) and the antifreeze power (PAC) of sugars are calculated in relation to sucrose. These data are very important to calculate and equalize the hardness or softness of ice creams in freezing.
The sugar content in ice cream is 14-24% (in semi sorbets of dried fruits 14%).
POD 16-22% (sweetening power)
Calculated on the basis of common sugar (sucrose): 100%.
Depending on the type of sugar, we obtain the following characteristics:
- Dextrose, glucose, fructose and invert sugar provide a soft, smooth, small crystal consistency.
- Sucrose and lactose provide hardness and form a large crystal.
- Glucose and maltodextrin provide greater binding or gumming capacity.
PAC 24-42% (antifreeze power)
– 10 °C. 24-26% CAP
– 14 °C. 24-32% PAC
– 18 °C. 40-42% PAC
We will now analyze the sugars in relation to their useful characteristics for ice cream.
The most important characteristics are shown in the following table:
| Solids | PAC | POD | BRIX | |
| Sugars | ||||
| Sugar (sucrose) | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Dextrose | 92% | 172% | 74% | |
| Glucose powder 33 DE | 94% | 56% | 24% | |
| Isomal | 95% | 99% | 50% | |
| Trehalose | 95% | 100% | 45% | |
| Maltodextrin | 95% | 23% | 15% | |
| Polyols | ||||
| Maltitol | 100% | 99% | 80% | |
| Liquid sugars | ||||
| Liquid glucose 40 DE | 80% | 76% | 45% | 77,4% |
| Inverted sugar | 70% | 190% | 125% | 72% |
Antifreeze
The main antifreeze used today in ice cream production is glycerin.
| Solids | PAC | POD | |
| Glycerin | 20% | 342% | 75% |
The use of an antifreeze is mainly due to its ability to lower the sweetness of an ice cream (premium or salty ice creams) or for ice creams with a high fat content (chocolate or nuts).
Fats
Fat can range from 3-12%; we believe the ideal is 6-12%.
Min: 0 (sorbets).
Max: 12%.
Lipids give ice cream different characteristics:
Increases the body. Contributes to volume increase.
- They contribute to increase the total dry residue.
- They make it more freezable.
- They significantly reduce the cold sensation of the ice cream at the moment of consumption.
- In excess it reduces the flavor of other foods.
- The fat helps to incorporate air to obtain a smoother and creamier texture, due to the emulsion.
- In large quantities, it reduces the volume. They make the texture smoother.
In the past, ice creams had a mixture of different fats (egg, milk fats…) which created a distortion in the flavor of the ice cream. Nowadays, the tendency is to produce single-fat and/or neutral fat ice creams to preserve the purity of the ice cream flavor.
Solids and liquids
The percentage of liquids in an ice cream is between 60 and 70%.
The liquids in the ice cream mixture are essentially found in:
- Milk.
- Cream.
- Fruit juices.
- Water.
The solids in the ice cream mixture are essentially found in:
- Sugars.
- Fats.
- Neutral stabilizers.
- Powdered milk.
They give the ice cream body and chewiness. By absorbing water, they contribute to a less cold sensation without ice crystals. Too many solids result in a heavy, wet ice cream. If not all the solids are dissolved by the liquid, they give a sandy ice cream.
The stages of ice cream production
Now that we have gathered all the ingredients for the ice cream mix and we have the balanced recipe, we will start the elaboration process that consists of gathering the different ingredients in a single unit, that is why the following phases are necessary:
Pasteurization
Pasteurization eliminates the bacterial load and makes it easier to homogenize all the ingredients and to disperse sugars and fats into tiny particles.
Pasteurization consists of raising the temperature of the ingredients to 85 °C and rapidly lowering it to 4 °C.
Maturation
Maturation consists of letting the mixture rest at 4 °C, with slow stirring to allow all the gelling substances to complete their action. A rest of 6 hours allows a good maturation.
Maintenance
Buttering consists of freezing and emulsifying the liquid mixture to obtain a creamy paste by freezing and incorporating air. It is important that the maintenance be done in the shortest possible time.
Freezing
After the pasty mixture has been pasteurized, it is at a temperature of -8 °C. To stabilize the liquid in the mixture and prevent ice crystals from forming, it is necessary to bring the mixture down to -18 °C as quickly as possible.
Stabilizers
Stabilizers for ice cream and sorbets are complex mixtures of thickeners, emulsifiers, gelling agents and aerators that provide perfect ice cream or sorbet textures with great ease of application. Always with the utmost respect for the flavor to be texturized.
Sosa stabilizers for ice cream
Important: the number followed by the name of the Sosa Ingredients products indicates the dosage per liter of liquids.
The distinction hot or cold refers to its use. In the case of cold, it is only necessary to integrate the product with strong agitation. In the hot, the mixture must exceed 80 °C and not exceed 90 °C.
In line with its commitment to quality and innovation, Sosa Ingredients introduces Profiber Stab 5, a hot and cold stabilizer for ice creams and sorbets that dispenses with synthetic emulsifiers and additives. A product, composed entirely of vegetable fibers, which does not add flavor and is perfectly aligned with the search for more natural and sustainable solutions in modern gastronomy.
For more information you can read the entry: Profiber Stab 5 – Stabilizer for ice cream and sorbets without synthetic emulsifiers and without additives, 100% vegetable fibers.
Other stabilizers in our catalog:
For ice cream we recommend:
Procrema 5 Bio Hot: Mixture of stabilizers for ecological elaborations.
Procrema 100 Cold/Hot Natur: Mixture of stabilizers, thickeners, proteins, fibers and sugars to stabilize ice cream naturally both hot and cold.
For sorbets we recommend:
Prosorbet 5 Cold/Hot Natur: Mixture of stabilizers and emulsifiers.
Prosorbet 100 Cold Natur: Mixture of stabilizers, thickeners, fibers and sugars to stabilize the sorbet naturally in cold.
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