Ice Cream Production This page describes the production of ice cream and includes the legal Ice Cream Definitions, Ingredients, and General Can u freeze cream cheese Procedure. Standards of Identity in the U. The finished ice cream must weigh at least 4. 5 pounds per gallon and there must be at least 1.
Ice cream is sold as hard ice cream or soft serve. After the freezing process only a portion of the water is actually in a frozen state. Soft ice cream is served directly from the freezer where only a small amount of the water has been frozen. Hard ice cream is packaged from the freezer and then goes through a hardening process that freezes more of the water in the mix. The basic types of ingredients and their functions are briefly described below. For a more detailed explanation of ingredient function see literature references by Marshall et al. Milk fat provides creaminess and richness to ice cream and contributes to its melting characteristics.
Sources of milk fat include milk, cream, and butter. The total milk solids component of ice cream includes both the fat and other solids. The nonfat solids play an important role in the body and texture of ice cream by stabilizing the air that is incorporated during the freezing process. Sources of nonfat solids include milk, cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, dry milk, and whey. Sweeteners are used to provide the characteristic sweetness of ice cream.
Sweeteners also lower the freezing point of the mix to allow some water to reamin unfrozen at serving temperatures. A lower freezing point makes ice cream easier to scoop and eat, although the addition of too much sugar can make the product too soft. Stabilizers are proteins or carbohydrates used in ice cream to add viscosity and control ice crystallization. Over time during frozen storage small ice crystals naturally migrate together and form larger ice crystals. Stabilizers help to keep the small crystals isolated and prevent the growth of large crystals, which causes ice cream to be coarse, icy and unpleasant to eat. Emulsifiers are used to help keep the milk fat evenly dispersed in the ice cream during freezing and storage. A good distribution of fat helps stabilize the air incorporated into the ice cream and provide a smooth product.