The Simplicity of Ice Cream

[IM4given]

I remember my first homemade ice cream. It was on easter and my grandma just brought a ice cream maker with a crank. Everyone had to take turn to stir and it was very hard and tiresome work. But the result was wonderful, the best tasting ice cream ever.

We made ours in a coffee can somehow and we rolled it back and forth across the floor to make it "churn" - I remember it as being the best tasting stuff I had ever eaten - way better than "store bought" ice cream!!!!!

[kevinmiller]

would anyone eat this:

http://www.benjerry.com/features/americ ... _index.cfm

Ben + Jerry = Queer

[bibletotingunslinger]

I have several coffee cans :coffee

[IM4given]

Coffee Can Ice Cream

There are variations to the freezing process with the simple ice cream recipes. One that I ran across was one with two coffee cans.

Note: As in all recipes, results can vary depending on humidity, conditions, etc. Please try any recipe out before attempting in a group setting.

This project is rated VERY EASY to do.

What You Need



2 clean metal cans, both with lids (make one can larger than the second)
Use the ice cream recipe already given in Ice Cream in a Bag or:
1 cup of very cold milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs. chocolate syrup
Ice
Salt


How To Make It


Place the ice cream mixture in the smaller coffee can (make sure it is a good clean can). And seal the can with the lid on tightly.

Now place that smaller can in the larger coffee can. Place the ice and also the salt around the smaller can making sure the smaller can is more or less in the center of the larger can.

Seal the larger can with it's lid tightly and roll the can around for about a half hour. This process works great if you have kids. Let them sit on the floor and roll the can between them. And then when it's all done...you have a nice container to keep the ice cream in!

[IM4given]

I'll bet you guys did not know that when it comes to Ice Cream I am a real expert! :thumb

Now that I have told all of you about the history and the nature of the ingredients of Ice Cream, would you like to hear more about each flavor of Ice Cream? I am quite sure you will be duly impressed by my extensive knowledge regarding all things related to ice cream!!!

Let's start with Vanilla:

Vanilla is without exception the most popular flavour for Ice Cream in North America. The dairy industry uses 48% of the total imported vanilla. Very important ice cream ingredient, not only in vanilla ice cream, but in many other flavours where it is used as a flavour enhancer, e.g. chocolate much improved by presence of vanilla.

Vanilla comes from a plant belonging to the orchid family called Vanilla planifolia. There are several varieties of vanilla beans among which are Mexican (Mexico), Bourbon (islands off the east coast of Africa), Tahiti (Tahiti and Society Islands), South American (Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique), Java (Java). Mexican and Bourbon beans are used to produce best vanilla extracts. Bourbons from Madagescar are the finest and account for over 75% of World production, Mexicans, 5%. Tahiti and other beans are combined with Mexican and Bourbon to make cheaper flavours and usually result in an ice cream being criticized for "lacks fine flavour". Same criticism will apply if flavours too highly fortified with vanillin are used.

From each blossom of the vine which is successfully fertilized comes a pod which reaches 6-10 inches in length, picked at 6-9 months. It requires 26-29oC day and night throughout the season, and frequent rains with dry season near end for development of flavour.

Pods are immersed in hot water to "kill them" (also increases enzyme activity), then fermented for 3-6 months by repeated wrapping in straw to "sweat" and then uncovered to sun dry. 5-6 kg green pods produce 1 kg. cured pods. Beans then aged 1-2 yrs. Enzymatic reactions produced many compounds - vanillin is the principal flavour compound. However, there is no free vanillin in the beans when they are harvested, it develops gradually during the curing period from glucosides, which break down during the fermentation and "sweating" of the beans. Extraction takes place as the beans are chopped (not ground) and placed in stainless steel percolator and cold alcohol (no heat involved) and water are pumped over and through the beans until all flavouring matter is extracted.

Concentrated Extract

Vacuum distillation takes place for a large part of the solvent. The desired concentration is specified as two fold, four fold, etc. Each multiple must be derived from an original 13.35 oz. beans.
Vanilla can be and is produced synthetically to a large extent. By-product of pulp and paper industry. Compound flavours are produced from combination of vanilla extract and vanillin. Vanillin maybe added at one ounce to the fold and labelled Vanilla-Vanillin Flavour. Number of folds plus number oz. of vanillin equal total strength, eg. 2 fold + 2 oz. = 4 fold vanilla-vanillin. However,more than 1 oz to the fold is deamed imitation.

Vanilla flavouring is available in liquid or powder form as:

#1 Pure Vanilla
#2 Reinforced Vanilla with Vanillin
#3 Imitation Vanilla

Usage level in the mix is a function of purity and concentration, usually ~0.3%.
Some vanillin may improve flavour over pure vanilla extract but too much vanillin results in harsh flavours.

Food and Drug Act Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Essence, Vanilla Flavour, shall:
(a) be prepared from the vanilla bean, the dried, cured fruit of Vanilla planifolia, Andrews, or Vanilla tahitensis, J.W. Moore,
( contain in 100 millilitres, regardless of the method of extraction, at least the quantity of soluble substances in their natural proportions which are extractable by the official method from:
(i) not less than 10 grams of vanilla beans, when such beans contain 25 percent or less of moisture,
(ii) not less than 7.5 grams of vanilla beans on the moisture free basis, when such beans contain more than 25 percent moisture, and notwithstanding sections B.10.003 and B.10.005 shall contain no added colour.

As with dairy products, the choicest of ice creams can be made only with the best of flavouring materials. A good vanilla enhances the flavour of good dairy products in ice cream. It does not mask it.

Edited to add : Are you impressed yet? If not I can go on and on and on about this subject! :cool

[IM4given]

Ben + Jerry = Queer

When I saw that I thought you were referring tho the actual flavor of the ice cream and that you were not making any reference to the brand.

From what I understand, Ben and Jerry are strictly business partners and are not sexual partners - they are brother-in-laws I think. You gotta admire them for their ingenuity, they started out selling ice cream from a little ice cream hut, and now look at them - selling ice cream world wide!

Anyhow if you can provide any further evidence otherwise, other than innuendo and heresay, I will gladly change my position on this particular brand. :thumb :cool

[kevinmiller]

LOL. Yay, the Ben and Jerry debate. I bet my exegesis will be better than yours. :cool

[IM4given]

LOL. Yay, the Ben and Jerry debate. I bet my exegesis will be better than yours. :cool

[IM4given]

I recently did a full and complete study of chocolate ice cream manufacturing and this was what I found out:

Chocolate and Cocoa

The cacao bean is the fruit of the tree Theobroma cacao, (Cacao, food of the gods) which grows in tropical regions such as Mexico, Central America, South America, West Indies, African West Coast. The word cocoa is a corruption of the native word cacao. The beans are embedded in pods on the tree, 20-30 beans per pod. When ripe, the pods are cut from the trees, and after drying, the beans are removed from the pods and allowed to ferment, 10 days (microbiological and enzymatic fermentation). Beans then are washed, dried, sorted, graded and shipped.

At the processing plant, beans are roasted, seed coat removed - called the nib. The nib is ground, friction melts the fat and the nibs flow from the grinding as a liquid, known as chocolate liquor.

Liquor:
55% fat, 17% carbohydrate, 11% protein, 6% tannins and many other compounds (bitter chocolate - baking).
Cocoa butter:
fat removed from chocolate liquor, narrow melting range 30 to 36° C
Cocoa:
after the cocoa butter is pressed from the chocolate liquor, the remaining press cake is now material for cocoa manufacture
The amount of fat remaining determines the cocoa grade:
medium fat cocoa 20-24% fat
low fat 10-12% fat

According to the Canada Food and Drugs Regulations:
Chocolate (Plain chocolate, Bitter chocolate, Chocolate liquor) shall be obtained by grinding cacao nibs and shall contain not less than 50% cacao butter, etc.
When cocoa is made, the processing of the liquor is continued until only 15 - 25 percent of the fat remains. In Canada where cocoa contains 22% or more cocoa butter it may be designated as Breakfast Cocoa. If it contains less than 10% cacao butter it must be called Low Fat Cocoa.

There are two types of cocoa or chocolate, namely, American (domestic) and Dutch. The latter is treated with an alkali (sodium hydroxide, etc.) to increase solubility, darken the colour, and modify the flavour. The Dutch type is usually preferred in ice cream because it gives a deeper colour but the choice depends upon:

consumer preference
desired color (Blackshire cocoa may be used to darken color)
strength of flavour
fat content

There are many types of chocolate that differ in the amounts of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, milk, other ingredients, and vanilla.

Imitation chocolate replacing some or all of the cocoa fat with other vegetable fats. Improved coating properties, resistance to melting
White chocolate, cocoa butter, MSNF, sugar, no cocoa or liquor

In chocolate ice cream manufacture, cocoa is more concentrated for flavouring than chocolate liquor (55% fat) because cocoa butter has relatively low flavour. However, the cocoa fat adds texture to the ice cream. Acceptable mixes can be made using 3% cocoa powder, 2.5% cocoa powder plus 1.5% chocolate liquor, or 5% chocolate liquor.
A good chocolate ice cream will be made if the cocoa and/or chocolate liquor is added to the vat and homogenized with the rest of the mix. Chocolate mixes have a tendency to become excessively viscous so stabilizer content and homogenizing pressure need to be adjusted.

One problem is called chocolate specking. It can occur in soft serve ice cream, when cocoa fibres become entrapped in the churned fat.

[kevinmiller]

[IM4given]

Speaking of liberals makes me think of "fruits" and "nuts"... :tum

Fruit Ice Cream

Fruit for Ice Cream is available in the following forms:
*Improved flavour
*Improved colour
*Reduced loss of ingredients
*More consistent product
*No preservatives
*Longer shelf life
*Open Kettle Processed Fruit
*Raw Frozen Fruit
*Fresh Fruit ---MY FAV!

Advantages of processed fruits:

Purchasing year round supply: problems of procurement and storage transferred to fruit processor
Availability: blending of sources from around the world in RTU form, no thawing, straining, etc.
Quality control: processor adjusts for quality variations
Ice Cream quality: fruit won't freeze in ice cream, usually free of debris, straw, pits.
Microbial Safety
Convenience
Fruit feeders are used with continuous freezers to add the fruit pieces, while any fruit juice is added directly to the mix. Fruit is usually added at about 15-25% by weight.

Nuts in Ice Cream

Nuts are usually added at about 10% by wt. Commonly used are walnuts, pecans, filberts, almonds and pistachios. Brazil nuts and cashews have been tried without much success.

Quality Control of Nutmeats for Ice Cream

Extraneous and Foreign Material:
Requires extensive cleaning, Colour Sorter, Destoner, X-rays, Aerator, Hand-Picking, Screening

Microbiological Testing:
Aflatoxin contamination can be a hazard with Peanuts, Pistachios, Brazils. All nutmeats should receive random testing for: Standard Plate Count, Coliform, E. Coli, Yeast and Mold, Salmonella.

Bacteria Control:
Nuts must be processed in a clean sanitary premise following good manufacturing practices. Nuts should be either oil roasted or heat treated to reduce any bacteria.

Sizing:
Some nutmeats require chopping to achieve a uniform size in order to fit through the fruit feeder, i.e.: Pecans, Almonds, Peanuts, Filberts
Storage Nutmeats should be stored at 34-38° F to maintain freshness and reduce problems with rancidity.

[IM4given]

Would you/ should you eat ice cream made from cloned cows?

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n ... 505S21.DTL -

[John81]

In the early 80s a 7-11 used to put their ice cream sandwhiches on sale during the summer for 15 cents each. We used to stop in there and buy a lot of those during the summer! Ice cream sandwhiches are easy to eat while driving. :thumb

[IM4given]

YUMMY! The Three Amigoes!

[John81]

Oh yeah!!! I STILL love ice cream sandwiches! :drool

Now I'm sitting here wishing I had a box of them in the freezer! :lol: