With 90% of households consuming it on a regular basis, ice cream is safely one of America’s favorite sweet treats. But what is, ice cream exactly, and how is it made? At its most basic, your favorite frozen dessert cups are made with three basic ingredients: cream, sugar, ice crystals and air. And while you may not taste the last two ingredients directly, they are what makes ice cream the irresistible consistency we have come to know and love.
Firstly, ice cream cannot be cold without ice crystals. This unseen ingredient is whipped into the cream and sugar, helping the frozen cream to achieve just the right smooth and creamy consistency. To get super smooth ice cream cups, you want the size of the ice crystal to be as small as possible.
As mentioned previously, air is the second unseen ingredient. This works in tandem with the ice, helping to whip the cream to achieve a fluffier and more voluminous texture. After the churning or air whipping process, ice cream will contain around 50% more air.
One of the most tasteworthy and important ingredients in ice cream is the fat component. Fat adds richness and helps to stabilize the base, helping to improve the ice cream’s flavor. You may notice that with lower fat ice creams and frozen yogurts, there is a less smooth, more icy flavor.
And of course, ice cream cups wouldn’t be the treat we know them as today without their sweet flavor. Sweeteners come in all forms, whether they’re honey, syrup or sugar. Sweeteners also help contribute to overall texture, adding a velvety smoothness. Often times, you will find low sugar ice creams lacking in texture and body, and it’s because of how its composition affects the overall product.
How do you enjoy your ice cream? Let us know in the comments below!