Home Made Ice Cream (2015– )

[weinoo]

28 minutes ago, heidih said:

Until you have talked a kid down from too much even in brownie you have no clue

 

That's what I'm trying to explain.

[paulraphael]

7 hours ago, heidih said:

Until you have talked a kid down from too much even in brownie you have no clue

 

 

A friend who was freelancing at High Times magazine gave some special peanut butter cups to me and my Halloween date many many years ago. The secret ingredient wasn't evenly distributed. One of us experienced some pleasant sensations, the other had a panic attack she thought was a heart attack, and called an ambulance.

[heidih]

11 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

 

A friend who was freelancing at High Times magazine gave some special peanut butter cups to me and my Halloween date many many years ago. The secret ingredient wasn't evenly distributed. One of us experienced some pleasant sensations, the other had a panic attack she thought was a heart attack, and called an ambulance.

 

Oh done the ER thing - oh kids!  Dogs never indulged so saved the veterinary ER bill cost!

Edited July 31, 2020 by heidih (log)

[Smithy]

Getting back to the concept of homemade ice cream: to me, this is The Real Deal. Good quality peaches and nectarines. Cream. Sugar. A touch of lemon juice for tartness. My trusty ICE-50 ice cream maker whose freezer bowl has been in the deep freeze since last summer. 

 

 

I had intended to include a picture of "as served" but forgot, since it was a dinner party at our friends' house. There were no leftovers to be brought home. I hope I'll find more worthy stone fruits in the next few weeks, but if I don't I'll still have refreshed my memory of just how good this can be.

[coffeinca]

Hi everyone, 

I would like to ask you for advice. I'm just starting my ice cream adventure and I found it really challenging when it's going about cream. According to many books and websites, the amount of fat suppose to be 35-40% or higher. In Portugal when I'm living right now, the 35% cream is always with stabiliser and not on the cold section. All of them are UHT. The one not UHT are 30% and are much less solid but I found them more tasty. What should I use for better ice cream? Should I stay with 35% or maybe use 30% and use less milk instead? What kind of cream are you using? 

All the best,

Karolina

 

•  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, coffeinca said:

Hi everyone, 

I would like to ask you for advice. I'm just starting my ice cream adventure and I found it really challenging when it's going about cream. According to many books and websites, the amount of fat suppose to be 35-40% or higher. In Portugal when I'm living right now, the 35% cream is always with stabiliser and not on the cold section. All of them are UHT. The one not UHT are 30% and are much less solid but I found them more tasty. What should I use for better ice cream? Should I stay with 35% or maybe use 30% and use less milk instead? What kind of cream are you using? 

All the best,

Karolina

 

•  
•  

 

Welcome to eGullet, Karolina.  My choice would be to use the 30% cream you have available.  It is possible to increase butterfat in ice cream by adding butter, but try your recipe the simple way first as see how you like it.

 

[paulraphael]

5 hours ago, coffeinca said:

Hi everyone, 

I would like to ask you for advice. I'm just starting my ice cream adventure and I found it really challenging when it's going about cream. According to many books and websites, the amount of fat suppose to be 35-40% or higher. In Portugal when I'm living right now, the 35% cream is always with stabiliser and not on the cold section. All of them are UHT. The one not UHT are 30% and are much less solid but I found them more tasty. What should I use for better ice cream? Should I stay with 35% or maybe use 30% and use less milk instead? What kind of cream are you using? 

All the best,

Karolina

 

•  
•  

 

I think the 30% cream will be better. Your idea to just use more cream and less milk is exactly right. Milk and cream have the same things in them. Just different proportions. You may just have to do a little math if you want the results the results to match exactly, or one of us can figure it out for you.

Edited August 2, 2020 by paulraphael (log)

[ccp900]

8 hours ago, coffeinca said:

Hi everyone, 

I would like to ask you for advice. I'm just starting my ice cream adventure and I found it really challenging when it's going about cream. According to many books and websites, the amount of fat suppose to be 35-40% or higher. In Portugal when I'm living right now, the 35% cream is always with stabiliser and not on the cold section. All of them are UHT. The one not UHT are 30% and are much less solid but I found them more tasty. What should I use for better ice cream? Should I stay with 35% or maybe use 30% and use less milk instead? What kind of cream are you using? 

All the best,

Karolina

 

•  
•  

Agree with the others. 30% fat is more than enough since the target fat is less than 20%.  You  can do more than 20% up to you but you won’t make ice cream that’s 30% fat so it’s safe to use that

[SeanT]

I made the vanilla again and this time the texture wasn’t grainy. I’m so puzzled as to what could have happened the first time. My only guess is that I somehow miss measured and ingredient. I tried ccp900’s suggestion on a second batch and went with no sugar and only dextrose and invert syrup. I also increased the guar gum and Xanthan b .1g on that batch.  Surprisingly there isn’t a noticeable difference in texture or softness between the two. This is withe the freezer at 0F. Can I get it softer at that serving temperature without compromising flavor and texture?  Wondering if I increase the milk powder or the dextrose and invert syrup, or both? My wife commented that she felt they were lacking in the flavor department. Perhaps I’ll also increase the sucrose too. 

[ccp900]

5 hours ago, SeanT said:

I made the vanilla again and this time the texture wasn’t grainy. I’m so puzzled as to what could have happened the first time. My only guess is that I somehow miss measured and ingredient. I tried ccp900’s suggestion on a second batch and went with no sugar and only dextrose and invert syrup. I also increased the guar gum and Xanthan b .1g on that batch.  Surprisingly there isn’t a noticeable difference in texture or softness between the two. This is withe the freezer at 0F. Can I get it softer at that serving temperature without compromising flavor and texture?  Wondering if I increase the milk powder or the dextrose and invert syrup, or both? My wife commented that she felt they were lacking in the flavor department. Perhaps I’ll also increase the sucrose too. 

Can you post your new recipe?
 

on the gritty texture. There might have been something that seeded the crystallization. Maybe some dirt in the sugar for example. If it’s not gritty now then your recipe is ok in that dept 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 hours ago, SeanT said:

I made the vanilla again and this time the texture wasn’t grainy. I’m so puzzled as to what could have happened the first time. My only guess is that I somehow miss measured and ingredient. I tried ccp900’s suggestion on a second batch and went with no sugar and only dextrose and invert syrup. I also increased the guar gum and Xanthan b .1g on that batch.  Surprisingly there isn’t a noticeable difference in texture or softness between the two. This is withe the freezer at 0F. Can I get it softer at that serving temperature without compromising flavor and texture?  Wondering if I increase the milk powder or the dextrose and invert syrup, or both? My wife commented that she felt they were lacking in the flavor department. Perhaps I’ll also increase the sucrose too. 

 

Possibly by flavor she means sweetness.

 

[weinoo]

When I make vanilla (basically the only ice cream I feel comfortable making), I steep scraped beans as well as use high-quality extract. Last batch Significant Eater mentioned was quite vanilla-y.

[heidih]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

When I make vanilla (basically the only ice cream I feel comfortable making), I steep scraped beans as well as use high-quality extract. Last batch Significant Eater mentioned was quite vanilla-y.

 

Why the hesitation on branching out? The best churned ice cream I ever made in a cheap old machine (rock salt!) was Barbara Tropp's lemon. It was perfection on a hot day.  And we tend to trust @David Lebovitz -- The Perfect Scoop.  An internet copy of the referenced lemon  https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/chin64494c10s001r035/lemon-ice-cream

[paulraphael]

3 hours ago, weinoo said:

When I make vanilla (basically the only ice cream I feel comfortable making), I steep scraped beans as well as use high-quality extract. Last batch Significant Eater mentioned was quite vanilla-y.

 

That's funny, it's the flavor I stopped making, ever since the price of vanilla beans went bonkers. I still have a stash from back when there was a market glut, but they're not in good enough shape now for making ice cream. When they were fresh they were total flavor bombs ... no need to add extract. It was possible to go too far and make ice cream that tasted like perfume.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

7 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

 

That's funny, it's the flavor I stopped making, ever since the price of vanilla beans went bonkers. I still have a stash from back when there was a market glut, but they're not in good enough shape now for making ice cream. When they were fresh they were total flavor bombs ... no need to add extract. It was possible to go too far and make ice cream that tasted like perfume.

paul, we keep vanilla beans (almost indefinitely) in a tall narrow bottle with the lowest 3/4 inch submersed in rum.    They remain supple and super flavorful.     Might you resurrect your by trying this?

 

eta, we buy our beans at G.Detou in Paris where we also source superb 4-strength vanilla extract that is "unbelievable".    Unbeatable prices.

Edited August 3, 2020 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[ccp900]

25 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

 

That's funny, it's the flavor I stopped making, ever since the price of vanilla beans went bonkers. I still have a stash from back when there was a market glut, but they're not in good enough shape now for making ice cream. When they were fresh they were total flavor bombs ... no need to add extract. It was possible to go too far and make ice cream that tasted like perfume.

I don’t even make vanilla!! Too expensive.....I just make sweet cream.

 

i tried Nescafé decaf instant coffee. You’ll hate me for this but it actually tasted good.  I made 17% milk fat though to make it creamy and if I remember I formulated to hit 125 pod sweetness. i only used 20g of instant decaf.  If I had better coffee available I would use it but beggars can’t be choosers and we are still on lockdown where I am

Edited August 3, 2020 by ccp900 (log)

[weinoo]

44 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

 

That's funny, it's the flavor I stopped making, ever since the price of vanilla beans went bonkers. I still have a stash from back when there was a market glut, but they're not in good enough shape now for making ice cream. When they were fresh they were total flavor bombs ... no need to add extract. It was possible to go too far and make ice cream that tasted like perfume.

I think that is when my beans are from!

But I vacuum sealed then. And the first package I opened when I started making ice cream again a few weeks ago - the beans were still in good shape.  Others here have had luck resurrecting them in their steam ovens.

[weinoo]

Actually, checking now, their price seems to have become reasonable again.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

 

Why the hesitation on branching out? The best churned ice cream I ever made in a cheap old machine (rock salt!) was Barbara Tropp's lemon. It was perfection on a hot day.  And we tend to trust @David Lebovitz -- The Perfect Scoop.  An internet copy of the referenced lemon  https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/chin64494c10s001r035/lemon-ice-cream

After reading this thread and all the formulae etc. etc., it's a wonder I even attempt any ice cream at all.

[ElsieD]

Here we go - speculoos ice cream just your basic cream, milk, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, speculoos cookies, salt, baking powder, spiced rum and toasted sugar.  I had mentioned on another thread that I had  made and tried toasted sugar in a recipe but I didn't think it was worth the trouble.   Since this recipe  (Stella Parks, Serious Eats) called for toasted sugar i toasted some up.  This ice cream is very rich and tasty.

[teonzo]

2 hours ago, paulraphael said:

I still have a stash from back when there was a market glut, but they're not in good enough shape now for making ice cream.

 

I would suggest to freeze vanilla beans next time you'll be able to get them, they can last years in this way.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[paulraphael]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

After reading this thread and all the formulae etc. etc., it's a wonder I even attempt any ice cream at all.

 

Yeah, I've sometimes imagined being asked by a grade school teacher to give a lesson on ice cream, and making all the children cry.

 

"Ok kids, put away everything besides your spreadsheets and your brix hygrometers."

 

What do you think is a good source these days for vanilla? I used to buy from Vanilla Products USA but that was ages ago.

 

 

[paulraphael]

46 minutes ago, teonzo said:

 

I would suggest to freeze vanilla beans next time you'll be able to get them, they can last years in this way.

 

 

 

Teo

 

 

I froze them in ziplock bags. They still eventually dried out. It's been well over 10 years.

[weinoo]

6 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

 

Yeah, I've sometimes imagined being asked by a grade school teacher to give a lesson on ice cream, and making all the children cry.

 

"Ok kids, put away everything besides your spreadsheets and your brix hygrometers."

 

What do you think is a good source these days for vanilla? I used to buy from Vanilla Products USA but that was ages ago.

 

 

 

They're still looking good!  https://www.vanillaproductsusa.com/madagascar-bourbon-beans/ That's definitely where my beans were from.

 

Amazon has some good prices.  Seems like the higher end purveyors (La Boite, even Penzey's) haven't come down on their prices like the others have.

 

Vanilla prices drop by a third from recent highs

[SeanT]

I use a vacuum sealer for my vanilla beans and it does a fantastic job.  I did add vanilla beans and extract to my two batches but apparently that wasn't enough for my wife. Ha!  Could be lack of sweetness, so I'll increase sugar in my next go around.