Why stir ice cream

Use the information below to help you through the freezing process but also be sure to consult your user's manual for the model of ice cream maker you are using so that you are aware of any special instruction.

The instructions below are for using an electric ice cream maker that uses ice in the freezing process. This is just one type of model. Realize that there are many different types of ice cream makers and unless you have this same model, it is best to read the user's manual for your model before beginning the freezing process. This type of freezing process is known as a "stir freezing" method because the ice cream is being stirred throughout the freezing process. The ice cream can that will hold the ice cream during the freezing process should be stored in the freezer for at least several hours before starting the freezing process.

Be sure the ice cream mixture has been chilled and aged properly before beginning the freezing process. Place the covered ice cream can in the bucket, making sure it is center and the can is properly aligned in the slot at the bottom of the bucket.

Engage the motor drive by placing the stem of the dasher in the hole on the bottom of the drive unit and rotate the can slightly until it engages with the cover. Plug in the freezer unit so it begins to churn and begin adding ice to the bottom of the bucket around the ice cream can. Place approximately an inch layer in the bucket.

Continue to add layers of ice and salt as stated above until the ice level is to the top of the can. The unit should run for 20 to 40 minutes before it stops, depending on the amount of ice cream in the unit. Start checking the ice cream after 25 minutes because it may not stop on its own when the ice cream is done, especially if the unit is not full.

When Ice Cream is Done When the unit stops or when checking the ice cream to see if it is done, unplug the unit to turn it off and remove the motor drive. Flavorings can also be added before removing dasher and then by placing cover back on the unit and replacing motor unit to churn the ice cream to mix in flavorings. It may be easier to just stir them in by hand rather than going through the extra set up again.

If hardening in the can, leave the ice cream in the can and pack the ice cream down firmly. Plug the hole in the center of the cover with the cork. Place the cover back on the ice cream can. See illustration below. It is best to wipe the cover and can clean before the hardening process. Once the can has been properly cleaned, place can in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours until hardened.

Place the cover on the container tightly. Once the ice cream has hardened, remove from freezer and serve. Return any remaining ice cream to the freezer for storage. Hardening Ice Cream in the Bucket. The ice cream can also be hardened in the ice cream maker bucket. Place the ice cream can in the bucket and pack the ice cream down in the can. Cove the can with towels or a blanket and allow to sit for approximately 3 hours. The time that it takes to harden will vary depending on the amount and type of ice cream.

Unwrap the bucket and check the ice during this time and if needed add more to keep can covered with ice. Rewrap with covering. After the ice cream has hardened sufficiently, take the can out of the bucket and clean the ice and salt off from it.

Remove the cover and scoop ice cream into bowls or cones. Serve and enjoy! The instructions below are for using an electric ice cream maker that uses a freezing unit that contains a cooling liquid between double insulated walls. The unit is placed in the freezer for the cooling liquid to freeze; and once frozen, it does the work of the ice and salt in the unit above. This type of freezing process is also a "stir freezing" method because the ice cream is being stirred throughout the freezing process.

The freezing unit of the ice maker must be completely frozen before the ice cream freezing process begins. Place the freezing unit in a freezer and allow the cooling liquid in the double walls of the unit to freeze completely. This could take from 6 to 24 hours, depending on the temperature of the freezer, how full the freezer is, and how often the freezer door is opened. Commercial ice cream display cases are chilled to the perfect scooping temperature, but they aren't great for long term storage because they are a little too warm for that.

Commercial ice cream is also softer because commercial machines are better at incorporating more air into the ice cream, yielding a lighter, less dense product. Commercial ice cream may also include softening ingredients, like gums, starches, or other stabilizers that improve the texture of the product.

Turns out the less sugar you add to your ice cream base, the harder the ice cream will freeze. Sugar increases the freezing temperature of ice cream, meaning that it freezes solid at a higher warmer temperature. With less sugar, ice cream is more likely to freeze hard, making it hard to scoop. Put another way, the more sugar in your ice cream, the lower the freezing temperature of your ice cream, which means that it will be softer at colder temperatures.

Of course, there's a limit to how much sugar you would want to add, flavourwise. But if you've experimenting with cutting back the quantity of sugar in your ice creams or sorbets, your final product will freeze hard and be difficult to scoop.

Alcohol lowers the freezing point of ice cream, meaning that the ice cream will stay softer at lower temperatures. The caveat with incorporating alcohol into ice cream bases is that a little goes a long way. I once added too much rum to a batch of rum raisin ice cream and it wouldn't freeze. I ended up with a very boozy milkshake. You'd be surprised to find that a little goes a long way! There's nothing worse than icy ice cream that has detectable ice crystals that are literally frozen water and flavourless.

Controlling the size of ice crystals is a pivotal part of making ice cream because the ice crystals need to be there, but they need to be so small that you don't detect them as you enjoy your ice cream.

Controlling the ice formation in ice cream is a science, just like when you want to control the crystallization of sugar when making homemade maple fudge , for example. So how do you minimize large ice crystals and keep them small? This has happened to me a few times and I think it happens when the ice cream has been churned for too long and the ice cream is buttered, meaning the fat globules have merged to form butter, which in term leaves a waxy coating in your mouth as you eat the ice cream.

This has nothing to do with how much cream you used, but more to do with how long you churned the ice cream for. There's nothing wrong with overchurned ice cream and you can still eat it, but the waxy coating is a textural defect and a bit of a nuisance for your tastebuds.

Next time, try churning your ice cream less and see if that helps. Ice cream takes a while to churn, about 15 minutes in most ice cream machines that we use at home. If you find that after 15 to 20 minutes, your ice cream still isn't a soft serve consistency, you might not be able to get it to "thicken" further in the ice cream machine.

There's a problem. You might have trouble freezing ice cream properly for other reasons, like if your ratios of ingredients are off:. It is possible to make homemade ice cream without owning a machine. It's called no-churn ice cream. I've also tested a method similar to the method used to make granita like you can see in this watermelon granita recipe.

The ice cream base is mixed, transferred to a container, closed, and placed in the freezer. Then you scrape it every few hours with a fork to mix it so that the ice cream chills more evenly, to incorporate air as it chills, and also to make smaller ice crystals. After about 6 hours, you can then scoop the ice cream and serve it. This method isn't perfect, but it works. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter. Bake Mode Prevent your screen from going dark. Homemade vanilla bean ice cream is easy to make from a simple vanilla-infused custard base with this recipe. Course Dessert. Cuisine American. Keyword vanilla bean ice cream, vanilla ice cream. Prep Time 25 minutes. Cook Time 20 minutes. Chill time 12 hours. And the more icy and unpleasant texture you will end up with. What can you do at home? This is a basic advise for everyone making ice cream also for those with ice cream machines , and for exactly the same reason — to reduce the final freezing time and get a better end-result.

I have seen some people report great success with freezing their ice cream in ice cube trays small, flat, and partly filled freezer bags will serve the same function. Obviously a bit of a problem for those going down the ice cube tray-as-freezing container-road, but otherwise essential:. Return the ice cream base to the freezer, wait another 45 minutes and repeat. Then repeat one, or possibly, two more times at the same intervals. There is nothing wrong with churning more frequently either like every 20 minutes or so , particularly when the freezing visibly has begun.

Why all this churning? Firstly, churning will beat a necessary amount of air into the ice cream base. The churning will also break down those unpleasantly large ice crystals which will have formed, threatening to ruin the texture of your final ice cream. And remember — if you have added alcohol to your ice cream, the freezing will take even longer …. After about hours in the freezer, your ice cream should generally be ready if used in the ice cream, alcohol will delay — even prevent — the freezing, so do take this into account when planning ahead.

Viewed 4k times. Thanks in advance! Improve this question. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. When you stir the ice cream you are doing at least four things: you are 'encouraging' the heat to become more uniformly distributed as you suspected , causing the ice cream to come into contact with regions of the bowl from which it has yet to absorb energy, causing the ice cream to adopt the same shape as the bowl and thus increase its contact area and therefore the rate of heat exchange , and adding a tiny amount of energy by stirring it.

Improve this answer. I upvoted for usefulness, but I will wait a little before I accept it. I stir my ice cream too. When ice cream slowly melts, it doesn't seem to get the texture that stirred ice cream has.

What are we talking about here, somewhere around a Joule?