# Corn ice cream base turning sour



## juacheun (Jul 20, 2016)

The last two times I've made a corn ice cream base, and let it age in the fridge for 36 hours, the corn for some reason turned the base sour. None of the dairy is bad, and the corn is fresh. What is causing this? Thanks in advance!


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## jcakes (Feb 18, 2007)

can you give us more information - what your base is, are you using corn kernals scraped from the cob, or chopped cobs after the kernals have been used for something else (the cob can still contribute a lot of flavor, and I was wondering if this is why you were letting the mix age for a day and a half).... can you post your recipe?


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

When you make the base, after you are finished do you rapidly bring the temp down via an ice bath or are you just putting it in the fridge?


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## juacheun (Jul 20, 2016)

corn2 earsmilk500 gcream200 gsugar24 gmilk powder20 gmaltose10 gcarageenan.25 gguar.25 g
I heat up the cream sugar milk powder maltose carageenan and guar, then cool it down in an ice bath. Then I combine with milk and cold steep the corn with the kernels and the cob in the fridge for 1.5 days. Not sure why it keeps turning sour on me.


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## juacheun (Jul 20, 2016)

sorry, should read 400g of milk


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Why include the cobs at all?  Do you cook the cobs first or simply add them after the kernels are removed? 

I"ve never made corn ice cream before but my instinct would be to simply puree and strain the cooked corn. If I were to use the cobs, I would simmer them in little water first, then strain and use the water to thin the puree.

     I suspect the mix is souring because the cobs are not fully cooked and some enzyme is still present that sours the milk.


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## juacheun (Jul 20, 2016)

I use the cobs because they have a lot of flavor. I didn't cook them because I didn't want to impart a "cooked" flavor. But I think you may be right! This didn't happen with a base in which I cooked the corn first. Do you think the souring is coming from the uncooked cob alone, or the uncooked kernels as well?


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Both. I don't know the chemistry of corn well enough to say it is an element in the corn or something left on from the environment but in either case, cooking the corn first is absolutely necessary, especially if you are leaving it for any length of time before serving it. Cooking it doesn't mean a long time. I met an older woman who grew up on a farm in Indiana corn country who insisted corn on the cob needed no more than four minutes to be ready to eat. I would follow that for the kernels but then blanch the cobs for an additional four minutes. 

I think you only get a "cooked" flavor if you over cook the corn. As with so many foods, correct cooking enhances and improves the flavor. So a quick blanch, chill, then combine. 

And some amount of puree, strained or not, would help release more flavor.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

I wonder if you are having some kind of sourdough type reaction.
If the cooking process doesn't improve things just serve the ice cream that day.
I realize the freezing process may mute some of the awesome cornyness (yeah I make up a lot of words lol) but sometimes things are just out of our control.

Another option is to send a sample to a lab for examination.
Let them reassure you the sour taste is just that or is it full of listeria or whatever.
A tartness that is completely harmless....
Then just twist and tweak until it ends up being an awesome product with a slight sour note that is refreshing or some such descriptor lol.

mimi


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## michaelrwalker1 (Jul 25, 2016)

Thanks for the information shared


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## juacheun (Jul 20, 2016)

Thanks for all the information everyone! Really appreciate it! I'll keep you updated with a cooked version of the recipe!


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