10 Tips for Homemade Ice Cream Success
Earlier this week, I took a class at the Brooklyn Kitchen called Ice Cream for Everyone, taught by Elise Maiberger. Basically, it was an introduction to the wonderful world of homemade ice cream making, from simple vanilla to vegan coconut.
In addition to four tasty scoops, each student also received a packet filled with recipes and useful information. I thought Elise's "Tips" page was such a great idea that I decided to make my own, which includes much of her indispensable advice. After the jump, read my top 10 ice cream making tips.
10 Tips for Homemade Ice Cream Success
1. The bowls of most ice cream makers take at least 24 hours to freeze. Get in the habit of storing the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer, wrapped tightly in a plastic bag. That way it's always ready to go.
2. The "batter" for your ice cream can never be too cold. I pour mine into an old quart-sized yogurt container and chill it in the fridge overnight.
3. Don't overfill your ice cream maker! Three-quarters full yields the best results. It might look a little empty, but trust me, if you fill the bowl up to the top, the ice cream won't aerate properly.
4. No matter what the recipe's instructions say, when tempering egg yolks for custard-based ice creams, never pour more than 3 or 4 tablespoons of hot cream into the yolks before whisking them back into the cream. And go very slowly. Nothing is worse then creating an accidental scramble.
5. As with drinking, when using alcohol as an ingredient in ice cream moderation is key. In my experience, anything more than 1/4 cup (in a recipe that yields 1 quart) interferes with the ice cream's ability to freeze.
6. Add extracts (vanilla, maple, almond, etc.) after the ice cream batter has cooled, but before churning, for the best flavor.
7. Add mix-ins, such as chocolate chips, nuts, and candy pieces, for only the last minute of churning. The ice cream should already be done. You just want to distribute the mix-ins evenly.
8. Shallow, flat containers are best for freezing and storing ice cream. While in America ice cream is usually sold in tall round containers, in Italy gelato is kept in low, rectangular ones, which promotes an even consistency.
9. To prevent ice crystals from forming, cover the surface with a layer of plastic wrap or wax paper before closing the container.
10. Homemade ice creams keep well for up to a week. After that, they begin to lose their flavor and creamy texture. Eat quickly—you can always make more!
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16 Comments:
Thanks for the tips, Lucy. I especially like #10: Eat quickly.
holdthemayo at 3:46PM on 06/26/08
Thanks.
I just bought a Cusinart maker and am in the early throws of ice cream making, so every bit of information is helpful.
Uglycuss at 3:59PM on 06/26/08
I really like thiese tips!
This might sound obvious but turn the machine on before you pour in the ice cream mixture. I learned this the hard way :)
I let my mixture chill overnight in a quart measuring cup in the fridge. For me, that's the easiest thing to pour out of and into the ice cream machine.
Wally East at 4:13PM on 06/26/08
Great tips, thanks. Our homemade ice creams always come out tasting great, but they often contain tiny ice crystals, making for a slightly "grainy" texture. Any tips on avoiding these?
jamieforrest at 4:24PM on 06/26/08
what was the base of the vegan coconut ice cream?
_greenbean at 4:33PM on 06/26/08
Tip #11: Make sure the lid is locked on so that the paddle churns properly. Please trust me when I tell you this. I offer a ruined batch of strawberry-basil from last week as proof.
worldcupfever at 5:15PM on 06/26/08
Tip #12: Get your mix-ins cold before mixing them in. I also ruined a batch of strawberry ice cream last week by adding lots of warm berries at the last moment and melting the ice cream--disaster!
Celeriac at 5:21PM on 06/26/08
Jamieforrest... the grainy texture is likely from too large a ice crystal... or potentially not enough fat in the base. To avoid the salt crystal issue, you want your ice cream as cold as possible before you make it. This means you might want to refridgerate your base overnight. If you are in a hurry, go to the freezer for at least a couple hours. If that doesn't work, you should make sure you are using enough heavy cream. It's the back bone of the soft feel. Gelato doesn't use it the same way, but I would make sure you check your ratios. I could go on about this topic for hours, but if you want a simple custard recipe that I use... you can likely find me by looking at my profile.
Husband at 9:44PM on 06/26/08
Thanks for the tips. I've got a new ice cream maker (also Cuisinart) and have made French vanilla ice cream and canteloupe sorbet with some success--although it did get a little icy in the freezer. I'll try the plastic wrap, and using a shallow container.
DebHarkness at 10:50PM on 06/26/08
_greenbean: coconut milk. elise used agar flakes as a thickening agent but i've used arrowroot (which is easier) with good results.
al oof at 12:57PM on 06/27/08
we got the ice cream maker attachment for the kitchenaid mixer and it works great! we did have one batch come out with a gummy texture though. anyone know what causes that? is it over churning? something in the batter-making process?
krystl at 2:37PM on 06/27/08
Any hints about how to know when it is churned enough? I've sometimes gone too far and ended up with a buttery texture which is awful. But I'm afraid to stop too soon and end up with ice crystals. Any thoughts?
MichaelNatkin at 6:09PM on 06/27/08
Good tips!! I made the mistake of only freezing my bowl for 6 hours and not chilling by ice cream mix and it never froze...I just ended up making chocolate mousse with it instead.
natalie2040 at 10:30AM on 06/30/08
My homemade ice cream melts very quickly after serving (much quicker than commercial ice cream). Is there any way to stabilize it?
mlzeats at 11:48AM on 06/30/08
There's a recipe for homemade ice cream stabilized with gelatin at this link:
http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/homemade.html
I've also read that you can use guar gum, xanthan gum, and other similar thickeners/stabilizers.. they'll all help to absorb excess water in the mixes and keep them from forming crystals and help the ice cream last a lot longer in the freezer without getting too hard and losing texture or flavor
Control at 12:39PM on 06/30/08
I want to emphasize that the "batter" should be as cold as possible before putting in the maker or else it just won't freeze (unless you have a maker with a freezer). If you're in a hurry, put the batter in a metal bowl or pot in an ice bath and mix it around. However, I've heard that ice cream is best if you can 'age' it overnight in the refrigerator. I think I heard this from a NYC pastry chef on WOR Food Talk.
azured00 at 12:41PM on 06/30/08