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Ingredients for Homemade Ice Cream
by Kimberly A. Smith
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Overview
Homemade ice cream is a simple and delicious treat that only takes a few simple ingredients to create. When you make your own ice cream, you are in control of what goes into it. You don't have to settle for ice cream with unpronounceable ingredients. These basic items form most homemade ice cream recipes. Each one plays a specific role in creating the finished product we know and love.
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Milk
Milk contributes to finished homemade ice cream because of its contribution of milk solids. These proteins help air incorporate and hold in the churning process. Air is an important part of the texture of ice cream. A good homemade ice cream has about 20% air in the overall volume. This air is a major part of why good ice cream feels the way it does. Milk also contains the sugar lactose, which helps the ice cream freeze smoothly later.
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Cream
Besides being half of the name, cream provides the majority of the milk fat in most ice cream recipes. Fat is a major part of the flavor of ice cream. It also contributes to the texture and richness of the finished product. Think about the last time you had a premium brand of ice cream and the last time you had a lower-fat variety. Can you picture the difference in the texture? Ice cream with a high fat content typically has a dense, smooth quality to it.
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Sugar
Sugar and other sweeteners add more than just a sweet flavor to homemade ice cream. This ingredient actually helps lower the freezing point of the water that is present in ice cream. Instead of forming into a solid block of ice in your freezer, your ice cream stays scoopable and soft. This is in part because of sugar present in the milk as well as added sugars. They ensure that not all of the water is completely frozen within your dessert.
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Egg Yolks
Many commercial ice creams now contain artificial emulsifiers, but your homemade ice cream recipe may call for egg yolks to fulfill this role. An emulsifier is an ingredient that helps keep the different parts of a solution combined. For example, adding mustard to a mixture of oil and vinegar will stop the two from separating. Egg yolks help hold the milk fat, protein, water and air into the right structure to create a creamy texture.
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Flavorings
There are an almost unlimited number of flavorings that can be used to change the final product. Extracts are one of the simplest and most common choices. Many recipes call for vanilla extract. However, to pump up the flavor even further, try using real vanilla beans when you make your ice cream base. Fruit, chocolate chips, cocoa powder and mint paste can all be used to create your perfect ice cream.
