Ice cream, while you wait

[mckayinutah]

Just wanted to mention what I saw last night on a local TV station's news broadcast. I thought it was interesting.

There is a chemist here in Utah who has created ' instant " ice cream while you wait. He takes the ice cream base ( cold ) and "injects" it with liquid nitrogen. This created an ice cream instantaniously. ( although the procedure was not shown )

Unfortunately it was only about a 2 minute pre-taped segment that had the last 10 seconds or so of audio missing, but the finished product looked exactly like what you would expect ice cream to look like.

He said you can create your own combination of flavors right there on the spot, then "poof" some liquid nitrogen and you've got ice cream.

Take care,

Jason

[mckayinutah]

If you want to read an article on it, go to www.kutv.com and click on Fresh ideas.

Jason

[Patrick S]

A company called Dippin' Dots here in KY, USA does something similar. They spray droplets of ice cream base into liquid nitrogen which freezes the droplets into little ice cream bbs. I tried some dots several years ago, and they were quite good.

[mckayinutah]

A company called Dippin' Dots here in KY, USA does something similar. They spray droplets of ice cream base into liquid nitrogen which freezes the droplets into little ice cream bbs. I tried some dots several years ago, and they were quite good.

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These weren't dots though - it was actual looking, creamy ice cream.

Jason

[Patrick S]

There was an article in July 2003 Popular Science about using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream. The author describes his experience with the process:

We mixed up a standard ice cream recipe calling for two quarts of cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flavoring. (Just about any ice cream recipe and flavor will work.) Then, working in a well-ventilated area (lest the nitrogen displace oxygen from the air) and with due regard for the ability of liquid nitrogen to freeze body parts solid, we gently folded about two liters of nitrogen syrup directly into the cream, much as you would fold in egg whites.

The result, literally 30 seconds later, was a half-gallon of the best ice cream I'd ever tasted. The secret is in the rapid freezing. When cream is frozen by liquid nitrogen at –196°C, the ice crystals that give bad ice cream its grainy texture have no chance to form. Instead you get microcrystalline ice cream that is supremely smooth, creamy and light in texture. Martha Stewart, eat your heart out.

Behold the smooth, sweet powers of liquid N

[Patrick S]

A company called Dippin' Dots here in KY, USA does something similar. They spray droplets of ice cream base into liquid nitrogen which freezes the droplets into little ice cream bbs. I tried some dots several years ago, and they were quite good.

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These weren't dots though - it was actual looking, creamy ice cream.

Jason

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Right, I understand that. The dots are similar to what you describe only in that they are frozen with liquid nitrogen.

[stscam]

Jason,

Fascinating stuff. There's a lot on the web about making this stuff, but mostly for demo purposes. Dan Sherman in Oregon thought about an LN ice cream parlor. Check him out at: Dan Sherman's LN Ice Cream Page

This is something I'd like to try at our shop. Anybody know of anyone else doing this on a commercial basis?

Cheers,

[R Washburn]

Liquid nitrogen ice cream used to be a staple at our biochemistry department parties back in the early '90's. Useful technique if you have acess to free liquid nitrogen.

[Moopheus]

The wife once got to make liquid nitrogen ice cream for a demo in a chemistry lecture at MIT. I didn't get to have any but she said it came out great.

I recall also seeing it demo'd on the Leno show once.

[Yuki]

I had that ice cream in a chemical engineering presentation in the university. It is not very safe when university students are spraying liquid nitrogen around. I think they didn't try the recipe out before hand so it felt like really watery ice cream.

[chromedome]

Did anyone follow the link near the bottom of that thread, about the guys using liquid oxygen to start their barbecue? 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit in 3 seconds flat.

Engineers. Oy.

[akwa]

herve this developed this technique or at least popularized it

It was on michel bras menu more than ten years ago

creme glacee truffe de l'instant

i would be interested to know if there is anyone in the tristate area with access to liquid nitrogen

warm regards

[nightscotsman]

Interestingly, the basic technique for making ice cream with liquid nitrogen was described about 100 years ago in a victorian ice cream cookbook. I don't know if this is the earliest known mention, but the idea has been around for a long time.

[akwa]

Interestingly, the basic technique for making ice cream with liquid nitrogen was described about 100 years ago in a victorian ice cream cookbook. I don't know if this is the earliest known mention, but the idea has been around for a long time.

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thanks nightscotsman for the reference