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Homemade Ice Cream Question...

Discussion in 'Food & Cooking' started by akme, Jul 29, 2010.

  1. Jul 29, 2010 #1
    akme

    akme

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    Hi!

    I just tried making ice cream for the first time ever, it's currently in the freezer now (I don't have an ice cream maker, so I'm doing it the oldschool way :) ).

    What I was wondering is if I made a mistake or something, because it tastes quite like custard rather than how normal ice cream tastes...

    I did expect it to taste a bit like custard, due to it being a custard base. I heated some milk and cream with vanilla, and let the vanilla infuse. Then, I beated egg yolks with sugar, added some of the warm vanilla-milk-cream mix to the sugar-egg mix, then returned it to the cream, as the recipe said. I cooked it (not letting it boil) until it coated the back of the spoon, let it cool down, and now its in the freezer, but it tastes really like custard. Should I have added more vanilla?

    Any help is much appreciated, so thanks in advance!! :D
     
  2. Jul 29, 2010 #2
    boar_d_laze

    boar_d_laze

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    What's the "old school way" without an ice-cream maker?  You can't get a smooth texture without freezing in a churn.  The best you can do without one is a sort of granita.

    If you think your cream would taste better with more vanilla, add more vanilla.  It's really that simple.

    There's no way for me to really know what you mean by "custardy," but I'm guessing it comes from the taste of the eggs more than anything else.  If, next time, you still plan to use a custard base, cut down on the eggs.

    Eggs are not an essential part of every kind of vanilla ice cream.  You can make an excellent base with nothing more than cream, vanilla and sugar.  For that matter, cooking isn't really necessary either.  It all depends on the textures and flavors you want -- and somewhat on your freezing methods.

    Good luck,

    BDL
     
  3. Jul 29, 2010 #3
    akme

    akme

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    Thanks for the reply!

    By "the old school way" I mean I have to take it out of the freezer every 20-30 minutes to churn it by hand. Seems to have worked as its pretty much ready now :)

    I added some vanilla extract to it now anyway. I think I might have had a little too much egg in the base. I'll give the no-egg base a try next time and see how that works. Definitely going to be trying to make some more ice creams in the future!

    Thanks!
     
  4. Jul 30, 2010 #4
    teresa

    teresa

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    Wow I have been making ice cream for 50 years and we never put it in the freezer until it is done, already thick and creamy. I think your way is newer than mine
     
  5. Aug 1, 2010 #5
    siduri

    siduri

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    sorry bdl, i have to disagree. 

    Try this,.

    make italian meringue.  Add whipped cream and vanilla.  Freeze.  YOu don't even have to take it out to mix it, nary a crystal.  Chocolate ice cream, you add melted chocolate to the meringue, then whipped cream and freeze.  The best.  Good ole Julia Child, got the recipe from one of her books.  (Le saint cyr i think) 

    It doesn;t work for watery fruit like strawberry, but will do ok with banana, apricot.  For coffee, i bet it would work if you made the sugar syrup with coffee in it.  You can't add liquids. 
     
  6. Aug 1, 2010 #6
    akme

    akme

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    The way I did it still needed the ice cream to sit cooling in the fridge for a while, though it was still thick-liquid consistancy, then transferring it to the freezer to finish off.

     
    I may have to try this!
     
  7. Aug 2, 2010 #7
    siduri

    siduri

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    If you want to try the coffee, akme, i suggest you try doing the vanilla or chocolate version first.  This ice cream is very good and works every time when there is no liquid in it, or the liquid (even some fruit purees) which would make ice crystals.  But the italian meringue and cream work very well.  I think you'd have to experiment with a very low water coffee syrup, reduced maybe in the microwave?  i think coffee can get burned in the sugar syrup for the meringue and may taste bad.  Or i guess you could add instant coffee to the cream, let it dissolve in the cold cream and then whip. 

    can give proportions and recipe, but basically 1 cup sugar to 1/3 cup water and 3 egg whites for the meringue, and i think a quarter of a quart of cream (or maybe more)
     
  8. Aug 3, 2010 #8
    akme

    akme

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    Thanks for the tip siduri, I'll maybe give the vanilla or chocolate a try this weekend :)

    After that I'll move onto the coffee one, a coffee syrup sounds like it may work, so I can try that as well as a batch with instant coffee. I'm sure at least one will turn out fine :D

    I'll use those proportions, sure it'll work out fine! Thanks!
     
  9. Aug 7, 2010 #9
    chef tomain

    chef tomain Banned

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    Best technique for home made Ice is to let the mixture freeze a bit take it out and beat it with a mixer until smooth then put into freezer let it stiffen a little then take out and beat. Do this a few times and you will have great ice cream.

    If you don't like the eggy taste which I don't . I use rennet  tablets , its used in cheese making. The packages has directions on ice cream recipes.
     
  10. Aug 10, 2010 #10
    philpbvc3232

    philpbvc3232

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    I always make ice cream just with banana and pure milk ,that is invented by myself , but actually it is milkshake rather than ice cream,i will try more .