Americans and people across the globe love frozen in desserts. In the United States, the average person consumes ice cream just under 26 times each year and nearly 90% of all households enjoy a frozen dessert on a regular basis. It has been estimated that 40% of people in the the U.S. eat ice cream at least once every two weeks. From ice cream to sherbet to gelato and frozen yogurt, people love to indulge in these kinds of treats. Gelato cups and spoons are hot items in the heat of the summer.
Gelato has a long and interesting history. It predates ice cream and has less fat and is less fluffy than its cousin dessert. Because it dates back thousands of years, the process for making it has undergone a number of revisions. When it was first created, it was little more than ice with a variety of flavorful toppings.
There is no one, single recipe for gelato. It is known to have less fat than ice cream. It is denser and often served at warmer temperatures to preserve its silky texture. Generally, gelato is made from an egg yolk heavy custard. This custard can come in as many flavors as ice cream. The second typical recipe is often referred to as the “Sicilian recipe,” it includes cornstarch in the custard. Because cornstarch is a thickening agent, fewer egg yolks are used. Both recipes make people want to grab their gelato cups and spoons and try some.
There are a few processes for making the Italian ice cream. You have the hot process, cold process and the sprint process.
The hot process procedure:
In this process, a pasteurizer is used. The gelato mixture is added to the pasteurizer which heats everything up to 85 degrees celsius for five seconds. The mixture is then cooled to five degrees celsius. The rapid heating and then cooling of the gelato mixture lets the stabilizers and emulsifiers do what they need to do. This also creates a mixture that is safe microbiologically.
Next the gelato is put into a batch freezer. It freezes very quickly. Stirring the gelato as it freezes gives it the texture. Air is incorporated into the mixture and ice crystals are kept to a minimum. It is possible to get equipment that combines the pasteurizer and batch freezer making the process a lot more simple. This process allows for a lot of flexibility in the recipes that are used, the recipes can be more easily customized using the hot process.
The cold process procedure:
A pasteurizer is not used because when the mixture is made, the microbiology of it is monitored and controlled. Raw ingredients are mixed with a gelato mixture base that is made for the cold process. Once it is mixed, it goes directly into a batch freezer. This is a popular method because they do not need to buy a pasteurizer and this process is faster than the hot process meaning they can get their product ready for gelato cups and spoons quicker without compromising the flavor.
The sprint process procedure:
The gelato maker takes a prepackaged mix that has all of the raw ingredients (flavors, stabilizers and emulsifiers) and mixes it with either milk or water. this is then poured into a batch freezer. This produces a very consistent gelato. This is used most often by gelato shops who need to make a lot of different varieties of the treat. For shops that produce a high volume of gelato, and go through a lot of gelato cups and spoons, this is the simplest and easiest way to get the product they need. The only real downside is the inability to be more creative with the gelato that is made.
After the gelato is done in the batch freezer, it is put in a gelato pan. The gelato is removed from the freezer with a spatula. Gelato shops are careful with the way they present their gelato to the public. Waves are created on the top of the gelato with the spatula to make it look more attractive and appealing in the display case.
Gelato often tastes more decadent than ice cream. There are few things better than gelato on a hot day.
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