Get the scoop on making dreamy creamy ice cream with these top tips…
When the weather warms up, there’s nothing better than a scoop of ice cream to cool you down. And it’s even better when you’ve made it yourself.
During lockdown we’ve been making loads of the stuff in our Kenwood Ice Cream maker, learning from our mistakes and staying home, safe and satiated doing so.
We’ve done our ice cream research, taken one for the team and eaten several buckets, and found the answer, or rather answers on how to get perfect results each and every time. Here’s 10 IDEAL tips for making ice cream at home.
PRE FREEZE YOUR BOWL
Always remember to pre-freeze your ice cream bowl/container for at least 24 hours before you use it. If it’s not cold enough the ice cream will not freeze completely and you’ll end up with a mushy custard mess.
PERFECT YOUR CUSTARD BASE
A good ice cream starts with a great custard base. When adding the egg yolks to the mixture, go slowly and don’t dump everything into the mixing bowl at once. If you add items too quickly you’ll end up with scrambled eggs – and not the delicious kind. Also, to avoid scrambled-egg ice cream, keep the heat low and stir it constantly when making your custard base.
FULL FAT EQUALS TEXTURE
Don’t use low fat substitutes, it will mess with the texture. If you want creamy, dreamy ice cream, it’s important you use the full fat versions. Forget about the calories, ice cream is an excuse to indulge after all.
AVOID FRUITY TEXTURES
Don’t add fresh fruit straight to ice cream. This is because fruit is mainly made up of water, which makes the ice cream go all icy and weird. If you’re using a fruit like a strawberry, then roast it first to extract some of that moisture content. Or for fruits like oranges and lemons, just add the zest.
MIX IN MATCH
If you’re adding mix-ins you have to do it at the right time. Only add those chunks of cookie dough, chocolate chips, nuts and fruits once you’re done with the churning, or you won’t get a creamy, consistent result.
GO EASY ON THE BOOZE
We never thought we’d say this, but if you’re adding alcohol, exercise restraint. Alcohol doesn’t freeze, so adding more than a couple of splashes can prevent the ice cream from freezing. And no one wants sloppy, icey ice cream, right?
MINIMISE MOISTURE
Though of course you want a restaurant worthy ball, you shouldn’t dip your ice cream scoop in hot water first; a cardinal ice cream sin that so many people make. You actually want your scoop to be dry, since even one little drop of water on the ice cream becomes a chunk of unwanted ice.
GET YOUR CRYSTAL METHOD ON
A top tip that will prevent ice crystals from forming in the freezer is to cover the ice cream with a layer of cling film before putting the lid on.
NOTHING GOOD LASTS FOREVER
There’s no time to wait (as if we needed an excuse to eat it all, quickly). Homemade ice creams only keeps well for about a week. After that, it begins to lose their flavor and creamy texture, so enjoy it at its peak.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY TO CONSISTENCY
Ice cream hates changes it temperature. Store your ice cream in a really cold part of the freezer and as far away from the door as possible. And once you take it out, be quick and put it back in the freezer straight away.
Oh and if you want to make something fancy with your Ice Cream, click try this sconewich recipe – it’s delicious!
