| The first step in the manufacture of ice | | | | whipping ability, reduces ageing period and |
| cream involves selection of ingredients. The | | | | reduces the quantity of stabilizer required. |
| items may be classified as dairy and | | | | |
| non-dairy ingredients. The dairy items | | | | Cooling and ageing of the ice cream mix |
| include sweet cream, frozen cream, plastic | | | | |
| cream, unsalted butter, butteroil, whole | | | | Ice cream mix is cooled to 0-5°C |
| milk, whole milk powder, condensed whole milk | | | | immediately after homogenization and it is |
| and evaporated milk. The non-dairy items | | | | held at this temperature for 3 to 4 hours in |
| include sugar (cane sugar, beet sugar and | | | | the ageing tanks. Ageing of the ice cream mix |
| corn sugar), stabilizers (gelatin or sodium | | | | is not required when sodium alginate is used |
| alginate), emulsifiers (glycerol | | | | as a stabilizer. Ageing improves the body and |
| monostearate), flavours (vanilla, chocolate, | | | | texture of the ice cream, increases melting |
| strawberry, pineapple, lemon, banana etc), | | | | resistance and improves maximum over run. |
| colours (yellow, green, pink depending on the | | | | |
| flavours), egg solids, fruits and nuts | | | | Freezing the mix |
| (apple, banana, mango, grape, almond, | | | | |
| pistachio, cashew, walnut etc.). | | | | After completing the ageing process, the ice |
| | | | cream mix is subjected to freezing in a batch |
| The second step is figuring the mix. Although | | | | freezer or continuous ice cream freezer. |
| knowledge of calculation is required for | | | | Generally colours and flavours are added to |
| manufacturing ice cream with quality that | | | | the aged ice cream mix just before |
| adheres to the legal standards, it is indeed | | | | transferring the same in to the freezer or |
| easy to figure the mix by simple methods. For | | | | they can be added directly in to the freezer. |
| E.g. To make 1 litre ice cream mix that meets | | | | In the freezing chamber, the ice cream mix is |
| the legal requirements, the following | | | | quickly frozen while being continuously |
| ingredients are required. | | | | agitated to incorporate air in a manner to |
| | | | produce and control the formation of large |
| * Whole milk - 1 litre | | | | number of small ice crystals which will |
| | | | provide smooth body and texture, palatability |
| * Skim Milk Powder - 70 g | | | | and desired over run in the finished end |
| | | | product. When the ice cream is frozen to the |
| * Butter - 100 g | | | | required consistency, it is transferred to |
| | | | the packages of desired sizes and immediately |
| * Cane sugar - 220 g | | | | placed in cold storage rooms. |
| | | | |
| * Gelatin - 8 g | | | | During the cold storage process, freezing and |
| | | | hardening is completed. The temperature of |
| * Glycerol Mono Stearate - 6 g | | | | hardening is around -20°C. The softy ice |
| | | | cream is usually drawn from the freezer at |
| * Vanilla concentrate - Q.S | | | | around -7°C. Nature of freezing is very |
| | | | important in freezing process. It is always |
| Making the mix | | | | desirable to freeze the mix in a continuous |
| | | | freezer rather than in batch freezer as the |
| Care should be exercised while selecting the | | | | former accomplishes the task within a few |
| dairy as well as non dairy ingredients as | | | | seconds whereas the latter does it in 5-10 |
| they determine the quality of the ultimate | | | | min. |
| end product i.e. ice cream. Take the milk in | | | | |
| a container and allow it to be heated. When | | | | Overrun in ice cream |
| the temperature of milk is around 50°C, | | | | |
| solid ingredients like skim milk powder, | | | | Overrun, expressed as percentage, is |
| butter (cut in to small pieces) and sugar are | | | | generally defined as the volume of ice cream |
| added slowly so as to completely incorporate | | | | obtained in excess of the volume of the ice |
| them in the hot milk. Gelatin and glycerol | | | | cream mix. The excess volume is composed |
| monosterate (GMS) are preferably mixed | | | | mainly of the air incorporated during the |
| together and heated separately in minimum | | | | freezing process. The over run due to air |
| quantity of water till their dissolution and | | | | provides proper body, texture and |
| added in to the hot milk. The pasteurization | | | | palatability essential to a good quality |
| of ice cream mix involves heating it to | | | | product. Too much and too little quantity of |
| 68.5°C for 30 min or 80°C for 25 sec. | | | | air incorporation will affect the body, |
| | | | texture and palatability. The softy ice |
| Homogenization of ice cream mix is an | | | | cream, ice cream packaged in bulk and retail |
| essential step in the manufacturing process. | | | | packed ice cream will have over run of |
| It is usually done at temperatures from | | | | 30-50%, 90-100% and 70-80% respectively. |
| 63-77°C in a two stage homogenizer; the | | | | |
| first stage operating at 2500 psi and the | | | | Uses of ice cream |
| second one at 500 psi. Homogenization helps | | | | |
| in reducing the size of the fat globules to 2 | | | | Ice cream is liked by all age group of people |
| microns or less. It helps in preventing the | | | | and it is directly consumed as a frozen |
| fat separation during ageing, imparts | | | | dessert. Ice cream can also be used as a |
| smoother texture to product, improves | | | | topping for fruit salads and fruit pies. |