For Jewel and other ice cream makers out there

[kjunkins]

Since I have been reading about all the ice cream that you all have been making I went out and bought an ice cream maker. I wanted the Cuisanart one but didn't have the money so I bought a little bit cheaper brand. It does make great ice cream but my problem is keeping it afterward. My bowl does come with a lid to store the leftover ice cream in the freezer but I have found that when I take it out it is hard as a rock and my ice cream scoop that is suppose to slide right through the hardest ice cream won't even budge it. Am I doing something wrong or is there another way to keep it or do you just need to eat if right away? Thanks alot and Jewel, I am dying to try your vanilla recipe. It sounds wonderful!

Kristi

[Jewel]

Kristi, what brand did you buy? My Cuisinart was only $59, and the Krups was $49! Not much difference, but I'm curious what brand you bought.

I store my 1.5 quarts of ice cream in a Tupperware container with a tight lid, but I put plastic wrap across the top before I put my lid on...I read somewhere (here) that it helps insulate and keep ice crystals from forming. Mamasue (ice cream queen...) says she always has to set her ice cream out of the freezer for a few minutes to let it soften first, but I've never had my ice cream get that hard! Could be the setting on your freezer, I'd check that first.

And that ice cream recipe is so good that last night I made it without the vanilla, but added 1-1/2 tsp of Peppermint Extract, 7 drops of green food coloring, and added shaved semi-sweet choc chips when nearly finished spinning, and had the GREATEST Mint Chip ice cream I've had in a long time!! YUM! :D

[Wendy w]

Kristi,

BF & I were watching Emeril on Sunday and he made ice cream. A viewer had sent him a question asking why her home made ice cream was so hard. He said that the commercial brands pump air and other fillers to make the ice cream "expand".

You may want to let your ice cream sit out for a few minutes and use a warmed scoop. I ordered a Krups from the ourhouse.com sale and its on the way! Can't wait!!

[SusanMac]

I watched that same Emeril episode, too.

Yes, homemade ice cream is supposed to be hard. The kind from the grocery store has tons of chemicals and things in it to keep it soft. And, the yummy kind at your local ice cream shop has been sitting out for a while.

You just have to plan ahead and set it out to soften. Also, I've heard that covering the ice cream with a sheet of plastic wrap (inside the tupperware) helps prevent ice crystals from forming on top.

[Laura B]

One more thing to consider, and this may contribute one factor to the hardness, is whether or not you should be storing the ice cream in the canister. If yours came with a lid then maybe it is ok to do it. However, the Cuisinart that I have specifically says not to store the ice cream in the freezer canister. You should transfer it to another container. I noticed that Emeril was using a Cuisinart the other night on his show and said you could just pop the canister full of ice cream into the freezer, but he was wrong about that with that specific model (according to the instruction booklet). So, check your booklet on that point.

In general, harder ice cream is just a fact of life when it comes to homemade ice cream. Also, the lower the fat in the ice cream the harder it will get in your freezer. The couple of times that I made full-fat Ben and Jerry's ice cream, it stayed easy to scoop because the fat content was SO high. But the lower fat ice creams get really hard. My husband (the scientist :rolleyes: ) explained this to me but I cannot remember the correct explanation at this point. But fat content is definitely a factor in hardness.

[kjunkins]

Thanks everyone for all your answers. I think I am going to invest in a container to put my ice cream in...probably tupperware or rubbermaid. I am also going to put the plastic wrap over the top. And hopefully that will help a little bit. And Jewel...that mint ice cream sound heavenly. What ice cream book do you have??? I am in the market to buy one but I wanted one that had pictures (yes I am a picture freak...LOL) and also some recipes for lower fat ice cream. Thanks again everyone!

Kristi

[breadmama]

I also have the Cuisenart, and am using it a lot lately. I scrape out what's left into a Rubbermaid container or a glass loaf pan, cover it with plastic, and freeze it that way. When we take it out to eat it (and this usually means the whole portion...) we nuke it on 50% for a short time to get it scoopable. It doesn't damage anything, and just makes it a bit softer.

Jewel, your mint chip recipe sounds awesome. That's one of my favorite flavors! That'll be next on my list.

FYI, the first time I used my Cuisenart, part of the ice cream was really solidly frozen on the canister. Without thinking about the non-stick surface, I grabbed a metal flour scoop and scraped the sides. After a few scrapes, I noticed the flecks of silver in my ice cream, and about cried. So, now we always use a hard plastic spatula. Thought I'd pass that on.

[RunnerKim]

Another option is to use more alcohol! I found this out by accident when making a mocha ice cream and subbing Kahlua for the vanilla and my husband accidently poured in too much - the ice cream was noticeably softer. Alcohol doesn't freeze. So you can add a little more vanilla or other extract to your ice cream and likely get a softer consistency.

Kim

[Wendy w]

Originally posted by RunnerKim
Another option is to use more alcohol! I found this out by accident when making a mocha ice cream and subbing Kahlua for the vanilla and my husband accidently poured in too much - the ice cream was noticeably softer. Alcohol doesn't freeze. So you can add a little more vanilla or other extract to your ice cream and likely get a softer consistency.

Kim

I like this idea and will have to utilize it .
Thanks Kim, do you happen to have the recipe?

hic:D

[Mamasue]

Originally posted by Laura B
One more thing to consider, and this may contribute one factor to the hardness, is whether or not you should be storing the ice cream in the canister. If yours came with a lid then maybe it is ok to do it. However, the Cuisinart that I have specifically says not to store the ice cream in the freezer canister. You should transfer it to another container. I noticed that Emeril was using a Cuisinart the other night on his show and said you could just pop the canister full of ice cream into the freezer, but he was wrong about that with that specific model (according to the instruction booklet). So, check your booklet on that point.

In general, harder ice cream is just a fact of life when it comes to homemade ice cream. Also, the lower the fat in the ice cream the harder it will get in your freezer. The couple of times that I made full-fat Ben and Jerry's ice cream, it stayed easy to scoop because the fat content was SO high. But the lower fat ice creams get really hard. My husband (the scientist :rolleyes: ) explained this to me but I cannot remember the correct explanation at this point. But fat content is definitely a factor in hardness.

I agree with everything that Laura has stated.

Runnerkim.....the alcohol does make your ice cream a little softer. I found this out when I made the Peach Gelato and added some Peach Snapps to it. With all the flavors that I made with the basic recipe, the Peach was the softest when coming out of freezer. Yummmm :D

[RunnerKim]

Okay let's see if this works

Here's the link to where I posted a review of the mocha ice cream we tried

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12534

Kim

[JennieL]

Originally posted by Mamasue


I agree with everything that Laura has stated.

Runnerkim.....the alcohol does make your ice cream a little softer. I found this out when I made the Peach Gelato and added some Peach Snapps to it. With all the flavors that I made with the basic recipe, the Peach was the softest when coming out of freezer. Yummmm :D

Runnerkim - Can you post the recipie for Peach Gelato. I've been having so much fun w/my ice cream maker. Now I can't wait to add alcohol!

[Mamasue]

JennieL....Actually I use the Strawberry Buttermilk Gelato recipe (below if you don't have it) and replace the strawberries with jarred peaches (TJ's); use low-fat half and half for the buttermilk; and add 4-5 tablespoons of Peach Snapps for more peach flavor. Yummmmm


* Exported from MasterCook *

Strawberry-Buttermilk Gelato

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
5 cups strawberries -- quartered (about 4 pts.)
2 cups Fat Free Half & Half -- *see Note

Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan; bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into a large bowl cool completely.

Place strawberries in a blender, and process until smooth. Add strawberry puree and buttermilk to sugar syrup; stir to combine

Poor the strawberry mixture into the freezer can of ice-cream freezer and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Yield: 8 cups (serving size: 1/2 cup)

* Note: Original recipes call for low-fat buttermilk

Variation: Peach Gelato: Use canned peaches (Trader Joe's) and 4-5 teaspoons Peach Snapps.
Pineapple Gelato: puree fresh pineapple
Raspberry Gelato: puree raspberries, strained through sieve
Blueberries: puree frozen blueberries, strained through sieve


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 111 Calories; trace Fat (1.2% calories from fat); trace Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Pureed strawberries create the "juice" that flavors this creamy gelato.

[karen w]

Mamasue,
How much "other fruit" did you use to replace the 5c. quartered strawberries, and did you puree the peaches(i.e. how much peach puree[or pineapple etc...] was substituted for the berries?)
I'd love to try your variations. They sound nice.

TIA,
Karen

[karen w]

Oh, I forgot to mention....I just tried the cookies and cream ice cream from the May issue with tofu. It was the richest ice cream I have had in a long time which was a good thing...I could not eat too much of it at one time!!! I also used FF half and half and only 8 Oreos(reduced fat), and it was very creamy and still fairly "scoopable" after several days. I also tried the chocolate mousse from May at the same time to use up my silken tofu since it was on the shelf for several months. All I can say is ...Oh my g-d...was it rich! My husband bragged about at work, and thought it was richer than the "Died and Went to Heaven Chocolate Cake." Because these both turned out so well I went back to the store to buy more silken tofu(in the aseptic boxes). Being a fairly new tofu user I am not exactly sure how accurate the expiration dates are on those boxes. One man told me he keeps his for years on the shelf and they do not go bad. Anyway I mention this only because the ones at the grocery store were all about to expire in a day, so I mention this to the woman at the checkout who then says, "Gee, I can't really sell these to you, but if you want to take them, I can give them to you." After ringing my order she went back and shoved another half a dozen in my bag before I left!!!!! So now I have a ton of the stuff. Anyone know if it's O.K. to use!!!

[Jewel]

Originally posted by kjunkins
And Jewel...that mint ice cream sound heavenly. What ice cream book do you have??? I am in the market to buy one but I wanted one that had pictures (yes I am a picture freak...LOL) and also some recipes for lower fat ice cream.
Kristi

Kristi, the book that I bought is The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, and I got it on Half.com for around $12. There are no photos but the cover, but honestly you don't need them! Ice cream is ice cream! They'll give a basic recipe like Chocolate Ice Cream then give variations at the bottom...like adding peanut butter chips, or adding banana chunks, or marshmallow fluff in swirls.

One of the things I like the most about these recipes more than any other ice cream recipes I've tried, is that the heavy cream is added AFTER the custard has come off the stove. Because the cream does not have to be boiled, you can get away with using a lowfat or nonfat substitute without worrying about curdling! The lowfat vanilla I make uses no sugar and no cream. The FatFree Sweetened Condensed Milk takes care of both!

Tonight I made the Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Because the 1/2 cup of peanut butter will raise the fat content, I wanted to compensate in other ways. I used 1% milk and in place of the 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream I used 1 cup of the fat free sweetened condensed milk, and 1/2 cup of fat free half and half! I lowered the sugar from 2/3 cup to 1/4 cup because of the sweetened milk also. Because the fat free milks didn't have to be boiled, I use them with no fear! A half cup of chopped chocolate chips go into this ice cream while it's freezing, and I'll have Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream tomorrow night! YUM!!! :D

[Mamasue]

Karen.....I always half the recipe and its just right for the Cuisinart which will make about a quart. I measure 2 1/2 cups of the fruit and then puree. Fruit, such as, strawberries, peaches, and pineapple are cutup in small chunks and then measured. I have made raspberry gelato and blueberry gelato and just measure the berries whole and then pureed. For the raspberry and blueberry puree you may want to force through a sieve to remove the seeds. Good Luck! :)

Jewel.....How did you make out with the butter pecan? Did you try the butter/sugar mixture again? I still haven't made the vanilla ice cream yet....hopefully this weekend. :D

[AD]

I've found a simple solution that work for sorbet, and I'm sure they would also help other lowfat or nonfat frozen desserts. I add an unbeaten egg white to the ice cream machine about 5 minutes after I start it. If I add it too soon, it gets too fluffy. Also, I have sometimes found I only need 1/2 of an egg white since it can really fluff up.

Another tip is to use corn syrup. I use it in sorbet often, and it really helps reduce sweetness without making it too "watery."

These things have worked in my Krups ice cream machine with great success.

[lisas3575]

Mamasue:
I want to try the gelato, but I don't own a blender. With your experience, do you think I could puree the fruit mixture in two small batches in my Cuisenart?

[Jewel]

Originally posted by Mamasue
Jewel.....How did you make out with the butter pecan? Did you try the butter/sugar mixture again? I still haven't made the vanilla ice cream yet....hopefully this weekend. :D

Mamasue, I haven't had the nerve to try the Butter Pecan again yet! I made Mint Chip two nights ago, and it was wonderful, but I need to cut down the peppermint extract a bit. WAY too strong! Recipe called for 2 tsp, but I think 1 would have been plenty. Of course, I used 'natural' Peppermint extract I found in the natural food section of my favorite grocery (Larry's for all you Pacific NW-ers!) so it may have been stronger.

Last night's [/b]Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip[/b] ice cream is still chilling in my frige, I'll freeze that up tonight. I love playing with those recipes! I hope I got the sugar thing right, but with sweetened condensed milk I know I couldn't add the full 2/3 cup of sugar that it called for! Keep your fingers crossed, and try that vanilla!! :D

[breadmama]

Jewel,
I want to come to your house to be an official ice cream taster! Your ideas sound sooooo good. (But I'm in Michigan, so that's probably impossible...drat.) My family is still happy with plain vanilla, but since they need the calories, I've been making it with all half and half. Since I don't need those calories, I only eat a little bit each time. Your recipes sound like ones I could indulge in with greater abandon!

Thanks for sharing your creative ideas!:)

[Mamasue]

lisas3575....I only have a small size food processor which I hardly use ( I enjoy chopping with my Henckel knives). If your processor is capable of pureeing to a good smooth state than use it. I have to tell you that I bought my blender a few years ago at a yard sale for a few bucks only because at the time I needed to use a blender for something. The blender has come out of the closet this summer to use for ice cream making. It is an appliance that doesn't get too much use in my house, but worth the few bucks that I paid for it. Check out yard sales or thrift shops, especially if you are going to seriously be making alot of ice cream.

Jewel....now that you have mastered the fine art of ice cream making and had such a success with the Peanut butter one then I know you will figure out the Butter Pecan one. :D BTW, there is always hope for Pie Crust. :D :D

[Pat]

Mamasue, Have you made the Strawberry-Buttermilk gelato with frozen strawberries? If so, do you use the whole ones without syrup or the quartered ones in syrup?

[claire797]

Jewel,

How did your modified peanut butter ice cream turn out? I was playing around today and made low fat peanut butter ice cream with the following:

2 cups fat free Land o Lakes Half & Half
1/2 can of fat free sweetened condensed milk (7 oz)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (2 ounces) of peanut butter

It tasted great right out of the machine. Now I'm waiting to see what happens to the texture after it's frozen for a bit.

I don't have Mastercook, but based on my calculation, this ice cream has 50 calories per ounce and 1.5 grams per ounce (weight ounce). 4 fluid ounces weighs 4 ounces so there's no over-run. Next time I might use a little bit more peanut butter and I should have mixed in some peanut butter cups or something too.

[Jewel]

Originally posted by claire797
Jewel,
How did your modified peanut butter ice cream turn out?

Oh Claire...where have you been? I discovered Sensuality In A Bowl last summer. ;) Here's the thread!

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13060&highlight=ice+cream

[claire797]

Thanks for pointing me to the thread! I'll have to try your version next. I'm still waiting for mine to freeze over so I can judge the texture. Yours is probably much better.

I still have 1/2 a can of fat free condensed milk to play with.

[claire797]

My peanut butter ice cream tasted good right out of the ice cream maker, but I'm sorry to say, had ice crystals after sitting in the freezer for 5 hours. Oh well.

I'm planning to try Jewel's custard version of peanut butter ice cream in the other thread. I hate throwing out a whole batch of the crystally peanut butter ice cream just to try again, but I really want to get this right!

Here goes....

[ChristieinMB]

I made Jewel's Peanut butter ice cream last week, it was delicious!
Christie

[claire797]

The custard is chilling in my refrigerator right now! I'll probably put it in the ice cream freezer around 5:00. I think 5 hours is long enough to chill the custard, right?

I am going to mix in Reese's Pieces.

[claire797]

WOW!

The peanut butter ice cream is incredible!!!! I can't believe the texture is so smooth and creamy. I thought for sure it would be icy -- but NO! Hooray!!!! Jewel, are you sure you can't enter this into the Southern Living contest? Yes. The original recipe was in The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, but you made so many modifications that it seems like a totally different recipe.

I put Reese's Pieces in mine this time. I am going to make it again and swirl Fat Free fudge topping through it to make a peanut butter fudge ribbon ice cream.

I'm posting this in both threads so everyone will see it. There are too many ice cream threads right now.
http://community.cookinglight.com/s...light=ice+cream