Pros and cons to cooling gelato liquid?
So, I'm new to the world of desserts and am getting into making some gelato. My ice cream maker is the type that has a cooler in it so it pre-cools the bucket and continues cooling it while churning.
Given that, I've seen some recipes that specifically call for heating the gelato base and then cooling it overnight before churning.
What are the pros/cons of such a tactic? My assumption is that, since my ice cream maker can cool the bucket, starting with a hot liquid will have little, if any, difference than starting with a chilled liquid. Am I incorrect?
Best Answer
I would chill overnight for several reasons. 1) the faster it freezes the smoother the smaller the ice crystals, the smoother the ice cream. 2) allowing to sit overnight seems to have a good effect on the flavor. 3) If your machine isn't made for handling hot liquids, it may damage it.
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Why is my gelato not freezing?
It's as simple as this: If the freezer bowl that goes with your ice cream maker isn't cold (like, really cold), your ice cream is never going to freeze. \u2192 Follow this tip: In order for the machine to freeze the ice cream as it churns, it needs to be cold \u2014 like, totally and completely, rock-hard, ice cold.Does churning ice cream longer make it better?
Ice cream taking too long to churn Ice cream takes a while to churn, about 15 minutes in most ice cream machines that we use at home. If you find that after 15 to 20 minutes, your ice cream still isn't a soft serve consistency, you might not be able to get it to "thicken" further in the ice cream machine.Does Gelato freeze solid?
While gelato tends to freeze into a icy brick. And that's why gelato is served at higher temperatures. Usually between 10 and 22 \xb0 F (-12 to -6 \xb0 C). This means it can have that clean low fat taste while still remaining soft and pliable.What happens if you over churn ice cream?
Icy texture can also be due to over-churning. Ice crystals begin to form during the churning process. This is what gives ice cream its texture. However, if you churn for too long, the crystals continue to get bigger and can give your ice cream an icy texture.Why you shouldn't water cool your PC
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Answer 2
Cooling the gelato liquid is important when your ice cream maker does not include a chiller built-in. Some makers rely on a bowl that is put in the freezer, so you have to get the mix as cold as possible or the bowl won't be able to freeze your base.
If you have a chiller in your ice cream maker then there's no need to chill your base as it's designed to take a hot base. Unless the chiller unit is a bit weak, that is, some makers can't handle a hot room.
Flavor-wise there's pros and cons of cooling the base first, if you freeze it as fast as possible you keep more of the volatile flavors, if you chill then sometime the result is more nuanced. Personally I have rarely found that chilling the base gives flavor improvement in ice cream.
Answer 3
A pre-chilled base will not be able to deliver unlimited cooling (actually, won't be able to absorb unlimited heat), so a too-hot base can warm up the base beyond usefulness before enough churning has happened - resulting either in a prematurely stopped churning process, or in re-melted ice cream. The cooler the mixture, the longer you can churn with a given base.
Also, treat pre-chilling times for ice cream machine bases conservatively, if it says 1 day and the results are disappointing try 3 days.
Make sure you do not pre-cool the mix in an area of your fridge that is prone to actually freezing (eg in a container that is snug against the back of your fridge) - this can actually create spots of icyness that won't be undone by the churning process unless the mixture is completely thawed before churning....
Answer 4
I'm pretty amazed that a beginner would go all in with the kind of ice cream maker you have. In the UK they have as much as a £100 premium over the ones with a bowl you put in the freezer (like mine).
You say you're confused about the talk of ice crystals, for which comparing sorbet to granitas would be a good point. Sorbet is smoother because the ice crystals are small compared to granita even though they're similar in content otherwise.
I would not recommend using hot mixture as it would put more strain on your ice cream maker. The bowl will expand as it absorbs the heat, but it is more demanding on the cooling unit to cool a hot liquid than a cold one. In that time, larger ice crystals form, resulting in a gritty texture.
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