The most common problem people face with homemade ice-cream is that it gets too hard. No matter how good the quality of ingredients is, and how expensive the ice cream machine is, failure to get the same smooth texture as the ice cream shops can be annoying. Perfection doesn’t exist, and you have to know some tactics to create the perfection you desire. To get the perfect richness, food smoothness, and consistency in the texture, here are some tips that can help you out.
Add More Cream
If you increase the ratio of cream over milk and add a larger portion of cream in place of milk, the chances of hardness become low. Fat doesn’t freeze, which is why the cream is the perfect ingredient to mix in your ice cream texture. Milk and butter are more likely to freeze as they contain water as well. However, high-fat cream has emulsifying properties that increase the creaminess and reduce the firmness of the ice cream texture. This will also prevent crystals in ice cream.
Use Alcohol
Many people may not like the idea of mixing alcohol in ice cream, especially if children are going to eat it too. However, mixing some tablespoons of alcohol can prevent your ice cream from becoming after even after freezing. There are different type of liquors that will not only enrich the smoothness of the texture but will also enhance the taste of the mixture. If you don’t want the flavour of alcohol to mix with the texture, you can add 3 tablespoons of vodka in 1-litre ice cream mixture. If you are making stone fruits, like peaches, plums, nectarines, or berry ice cream, you can also use Kirsch to boost the flavour. For sorbets, you can add champagne or white wine before moving towards the churning procedure. If you have to cook the fruits with water, you can mix some liquor in it for the best results.
Gelatin
Adding gelatin in your ice cream is the easiest and most commonly used method to soften homemade ice cream. All you have to do it soften gelatin in cold water and melt it by warming. Add it to the mixture of your ice cream or sorbet before churning, and mix it well. 1 tablespoon of gelatin is enough for softening per quart liter ice cream mixture. If you are a vegetarian, vegan, or kosher, do not add gelatin in your ice cream mixture.
Upgrade Your Machine
The ice cream machine that you have at home usually churns at a very low speed as compared to commercial ice cream makers. This is why you cannot get the same smooth texture no matter what you do. Commercial ice cream machines are designed to add more air into the mixture that increases the fluffiness and smoothness in the ice cream whereas home ice cream machines won’t do anything of this sort. Look for a new ice cream machine that works similarly to commercial ice cream makers so that you can get the perfect results.