# Scaling up an ice cream recipe



## mclimbin (Jun 1, 2010)

Hello Chefs,

I am having a party with about 50 people and I want to make vanilla ice cream. I have a new 6 quart ice cream maker, and I am trying to find a recipe that would work. I found the following recipe at http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/02/vanilla-ice-cream/:

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
I want to scale this up to make two 6 quart batches. The problem is, my calculations came out as such:

12 cups milk (3/4 gallon)

24 cups cream (1 and a half gallons)

60 egg yolks

Whaaaaat? 60 egg yolks? 5 dozen eggs to make 3 gallons of ice cream? That does not seem right to me. Is it correct?

Is there any way I can substitute whole eggs for the same volume?

If not I might have to just use the "Philadelphia" variety, with no eggs. That might not be so bad since it is going on top of apple crisp, anyway.

Suggestions?


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## stuartscholes (Jun 17, 2013)

It's essentially a custard. You can play around, but I wouldn't take out too much yolk, and certainly wouldn't replace with whites (I don't think it'd be a problem, I just wouldn't do it). Your yolks contribute to the richness of the ice cream. You could try cutting out a few yolks and substituting some of the milk with cream, but you already have a high proportion, so I doubt it'd make that much of a difference. Try making a small batch with your reduced egg yolk mixture and see if you like it.

There's not much alchemy going on, you make a smooth custard and freeze it, so the changes to your recipe will alter it but shouldn't make it 'fail' as such, it's just frozen sugared cream, so you should be able to experiment reasonably freely with it.


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## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

I'd go 4 parts cream, 1 part egg yolk and 1 part sugar.

from there write your recipe. its for me the easiest way.. 

cream can be part milk of course. but I like all cream for icecream much better (creamier and makes better custard)

so taking the recipe above 

you need 36 cups liquid to 75.9 oz egg yolks by weight and same weight sugar as eggyolks.

just a basis to start with...


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## mclimbin (Jun 1, 2010)

Thanks for your advice. So, I weighed one large egg yolk. It was .6 of an ounce. I divided 76 ounces by .6 to get the number of eggs yolks I would need.  I got 115. Is my math correct? To get 76 ounces of yolk I need 115 eggs?

When shopping at Costco I need to buy 5 packs (24 eggs each) of eggs? 

I know this is basic math, but I am an English teacher. If you don't mind, please check it for me?


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

A standard base for ice cream is crème anglaise and a good guide to crème anglaise is from Michael Ruhlman's Ratio, adjusted to yield 12 quarts:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Crème Anglaise

Recipe By ete V. McCracken, as adapted from "Ratio-The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking" by Michael Ruhlman
Serving Size : 48 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Custards Foundation
Sweet

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
192 fluid ounces milk
192 fluid ounces cream
24 each vanilla bean -- split in half lengthwise
96 ounces sugar
96 fluid ounces egg yolks -- 168-192 large egg yolks

Combine milk, cream, and vanilla bean in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Remove from heat and let the bean steep for 15 minutes. With paring knife, slit the bean and scrape the seeds into the milk/cream mixture. Discard the pod (I save it in a container of sugar for vanilla sugar)

Combine the sugar and the egg yolks and whisk vigorously for 30-45 seconds (this will help the sugar to dissolve and will help the egg yolk to cook more evenly.

Prepare an ice bath to hold a bowl and place the bowl in the ice-bath and a fine-mesh strainer in the bowl.

Bring the milk-cream mixture just to a simmer.

Pour the milk/cream mixture into the egg yolk/sugar mixture slowly while whisking continuously.

Return the mixture to the saucepan used to heat the milk-cream mixture and continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, or nappé, it should be completely pourable, but if you dip a spoon in it, it should be thick enough on the spoon to draw a line through it, approximately 2-4 minutes.

Pour the sauce through the fine-mesh strainer into the bowl in the ice-bath. Stir until cold.

Refrigerate until ready to use

Source:
""Ratio" by Michael Ruhlman, page 211-212, as adapted by Pete V. McCracken"
Copyright:
"Copyright [emoji]169[/emoji]2010 all rights reserved, by Pete V. McCracken, 657 Village Green St., Porterville, CA 93257 (559) 784-6192 [email protected]"
Yield:
"3 gallons"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 796 Calories; 52g Fat (58.2% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 68g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 874mg Cholesterol; 130mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 9 1/2 Fat; 4 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0


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## mclimbin (Jun 1, 2010)

Wow. 14 dozen eggs for 3 gallons of milk/cream. Just Wow. That is a lot of wasted egg whites.

I have the Ratio iPhone app and it was calculating the same amount, but I just couldn't believe it. As a home cook, that just doesn't seem practical.

Here is another question: it's possible to make a frozen cream with just milk, cream, sugar and vanilla. Would it be possible to reduce the amount of egg yolk by half, and have something that is between a creme anglaise base and a "Philadephia" ice cream? 

Would that work chemically? Would it set up the same? I assume it will be less rich, less smooth, and might tend to get icy, but would be better than the recipe with just milk and cream.

I get that most of you would use the traditional creme anglaise recipe. I'm just weighing my options.

Thanks for your advice, and my apologies if I sound too whiny.


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## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

indeed, my calculations came from Ratio   I work with it a lot, even at my job as line cook.

so pete mccracken has got it right.....

after all, thats a lot of icecream you wanted to make for that amount of people


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## rat (Mar 2, 2006)

So why not buy egg yolks instead of eggs?? Also you scaled up the recipe so why does the original recipe look good and the scaled up recipe look bad?? its the same thing. Just try a small batch, if it works, it works. It is not rocket science.


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## hgtclark (Sep 24, 2013)

Try and buy egg yolks - Failing that, freeze the egg whites down - use them later for marshmallows or meringues

I suggest with 80-100 egg whites - freeze them down in smaller batches


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