How to Make Homemade Ice Cream

Of course, preparing an ice cream at home is very easy, but to get a creamy end result not so much, so I want to explain how to make a creamy homemade ice cream following very simple guidelines.

The final consistency of an ice cream is determined by the size of the ice crystals it possesses and the proportion of syrup that covers them. The smaller the crystals, and the greater the proportion of liquid syrup and other ingredients to keep them apart, the softer the texture of the ice cream.

The size of the crystals and the proportion of syrup depend on the ingredients of the mixture that we make, how it is frozen, and the temperature at which it is served.

Ingredients:

Sugar, Invert sugar, honey or corn syrup. They are natural antifreeze, so the higher the sugar content, the better the texture. Ideally, it should not exceed 18%, although invert sugar can be used up to 25%.

Alcohol. Alcohol has a low freezing point, lower than our domestic freezers so it is an ideal ingredient to avoid crystallization in ice cream. It can be used in a proportion of 20%.

Fat, such as egg yolks, cream, butter ... Reduces the size of ice crystals and produces a lubricating effect, which gives a soft feeling in the mouth.

Milk powder. It provides lactic and lactose proteins to the mix. Lactose absorbs ten times its weight in water, which results in less water in the mixture, ie, fewer ice crystals. We will not add more than 10%.

Air. Although it is not an ingredient in itself, it is an important factor in achieving our goal. We must introduce air in the mixture either with the manual shake or with ice maker; Or by some of the ingredients. To mount the whites to the point of snow or the cream in firm point are two very interesting options.

At this point we have to differentiate whether the method of freezing the mixture is done with or without ice cream. If we use a ice cream maker, the constant whipping of the cream causes air to be introduced into the ice cream, making the crystals smaller and the mixture lighter.

On the other hand if we make the ice cream manually we will have to beat the cream ourselves from time to time. During the first hour I recommend doing it every ten minutes. And in the next every thirty is enough.

Temperature:

The ideal temperature to serve the ice cream is between -14 and -7 ºC. As domestic freezers do not have the proper characteristics or temperatures, it is advisable to remove the ice cream a few minutes before bringing it to the table. As soon as we serve all the necessary rations, we will immediately freeze the rest to avoid the formation of granules.

We can also warm the ice cream tub in the microwave for about 5 seconds. I have tried it several times and it works, although I do not especially like this method.