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| JAR 8.24.12 |
I scream, you scream, we all scream for… ICE CREAM! That we
do. The so-called summer time treat, cooling and refreshing, and friendly all year
round—ice cream.
Ice cream has a long history and has gone through many shifts
and changes. Beginning with ice drizzled with fruit juices, to flavored ice and
sorbetti, to present day dreamy creamy ice cream. With a presence in ancient
China, to the Roman Empire, to other European countries in the 16th
century, and strong advancements in the art of ice cream confection in the
United States, ice cream has roots all over the world. Initially, ice cream and other assorted
ices were delights of the upper classes, coveted by emperors and enjoyed at fancy
dinner parties.[1] But now it
is for the masses, easily accessible, and all over the place, all year round.
America is the largest consumer of ice cream in the world,[2]
but it appears that the number of pints of ice cream that the world ingests is
on the rise.
The Science
Sugar ratios in frozen treats like gelato, ice cream,
sorbet, etc., really help to control the texture of the final product. Once the
sugars are dissolved in the liquid, the sugar molecules actually prevent the
liquid from freezing all the way, and just lowers the freezing point of the
whole mixture. Which means that ice cream and other frozen goodies are just
tiny ice crystals that are suspended in the sweet liquid that will not freeze. The
ratio of sugar to liquid has to be just right; too much sugar will result in
sweet soup and too low of a sugar content will create a rock hard dessert. The
best ratio, according to Alton Brown, is a 7 ounces of sugar to 16 ounces of
liquid, which will produce a scoopable and malleable dessert.[3]
To create the smooth texture that ice cream is known for,
there has to be not only the tiny crystals but also the air content has to be incorporated
into the mixture correctly. That is where the ice cream maker comes in. This contraption
was first seen in 1843 and created by Nancy Johnson (from New Jersey, though
this seems to be disputed). It once was a container which was filled with the
mixture, surrounded by a bucket of salt and ice, operated by a crank, which was churned by hand. The churn on the inside, would scrape all the ice
crystals that were forming on the walls of the inner can, while mixing in the
air. Now there are all sorts of contraptions that get this job done,
commercially or at home on the kitchen counter.
The Rules
The Food and Drug Administration in the States, has set up
various rules and guidelines that ice cream has to meet. This ensures that
the customer is buying consistent ice creams and that she knows the product she
is purchasing. The milk used for the ice cream has to be pasteurized, this is
extremely important as milk should be a major ingredient. Regular ice cream
must contain a minimum of 10% milk fat, which counts as a solid according to
the FDA. While reduced fat ice cream has a minimum of 25% less fat than the
regular ice cream made by the same brand. Another category, light ice cream, is supposed
to have 33% fewer calories as well as 50% as much fat than that regular
ice cream (still of the same brand). Low- fat, yet another class of ice cream, contains
3 grams of fat per half cup serving, while nonfat has a maximum of .5 grams for
the same size serving. There is a minimum standard that each gallon of ice cream is required to contain 1.6 pounds of total solids and the gallon
cannot weigh less than 4.5 pounds. Egg yolks can
provide up to 1.4% of the solids. [4]
Quality labels are also required of ice cream manufacturers
as regulated by the FDA. “The differences in quality relate to product
packaging, amount of air in the ice cream, ingredient quality and price.” [5]
The highest quality of ice cream, Super-premium ice cream, is defined as having
low air content, high fat and is also produced with the best ingredients.
Premium, the next step down, will have higher fat content and less air than
regular ice cream (which meets the FDA standards for ice cream as discussed
above). The higher the air content, the lower the quality of the ice cream and
probably the lower the price, these even feel lighter than higher end ice
creams.
There are even regulations on flavoring. If the product is
predominantly made up of artificial ingredients for flavoring, the packaging
must state the word “artificial” as a prefix to the common flavor name in its
title. [6]
The Styles
Italian style ice cream, referred to as gelato, is less airy
than the other varieties of ice creams. This style relies on
milk, rather than creams or egg custards which results in a lighter frozen
dessert. Then there is what is generally thought of as American style ice
cream, which revolves around cream, a little heavier than just milk, so the end
product is heavier. French style ice cream is the richest and heaviest of them
all, based on a egg custard, that involves cooking, tempering and a lot of
stirring, even before it is set to be churned.
Aside from the science, this gets a little complicated.
According to Alton Brown, there are two schools of ice cream. There is what is
called the Philadelphia style, which is also called the American style. But
there is also New York style ice cream, comparable to French style ice cream,
more of a frozen custard (I know, I know, Philadelphia and New York are both in
America). This seems to be a little known fact, however, because most sources,
other than Brown, provide that Philadelphia, American and New York styles are
all the same. Brown does mention that “older cookbooks” refer to this custard
type as New York style.[7]
The New York Times article, “Egg-free Ice Cream Lets Flavors Bloom,” written by
Melissa Clark in 2010, refers to the eggless variety as Philadelphia or
American style, but does not include New York.
What we are most accustomed to and what is more available to us,
via grocery store and even ice cream shops, is the New York/ French style, the
thick, smooth, heavy and dense frozen dessert. As mentioned earlier, this style
requires much more work. The milk or cream, sugar, eggs or just the yolks,
along with the flavoring must be cooked all together, slowly over low heat.
That is where the custard part comes in. All those elements are essentially the
recipe for custard. This then has to cool even before it can be transformed
into ice cream. Not only is the texture generally smoother than, Italian and American
styles, it is much more decadent. There is a higher fat content, due to the
eggs, which only adds to its heavier texture. But this is the ice cream that
most of us know and love, which we turn to in times of angst or as a refresher
on a hot day.
Though in reading the article by Melissa Clark, it appears
Philadelphia style ice cream is rising in popularity. It is an old method of
making ice cream, but it is becoming trendy, as more and more people are
discovering organic produce and food allergies seem to be on the rise. People
she interviewed said that this kind of ice cream was purer, and allowed for the
flavors and ingredients to be the stars of the frozen treat, rather than being
hidden under the heaviness of the eggs.[8]
Alton Brown, is of a similar belief. In his episode of “Good Eats: Churn Baby
Churn,” he proclaims he is a purist when it comes to ice cream. He says, “[W]e
in the ice cream under ground believe that ice cream should be just that, milk
or cream, frozen with sugar and flavorings. That’s it. No double boilers….”[9]
The flavors are more intense and tangible, while the Philly ice cream on the
whole is less heavy. Part of the allure of this according to Clark’s article,
is the ability to eat more. Where the richness of a custard ice cream gets
heavy and repetitive, the lightness of this Philly doesn’t overwhelm the belly.
The downside though, is that this variety of ice cream tends to freeze to be
pretty hard, and many chefs dabbling in this school suggest the addition of a
small amount of alcohol or a liquid sweetener.[10]
These extra sugar molecules will cause the mixture to freeze less and be
softer.
The Flavors
The best part, the flavors! Now there are so many different
flavors, and creative ice cream makers all over the world are inventing new
ones, probably right now, at this very second. The mixture for ice cream is
almost like a blank canvas, only with a few requisites. It allows for the
inclusion all kinds of ingredients, flavors, combinations and experimentation.
Vanilla though,
is the most sold and consumed in the world. It is the most popular flavor, even
beating out chocolate by a large margin.[11]
Compared to all the new, exciting, unique and creative flavors out there,
vanilla still reigns supreme, its classic comfort food. Vanilla can top a wide
variety of desserts, from a dense chocolate cake to a peach cobbler. It is
definitely the most versatile flavor available.
Flavors now are even created to recreate and re-imagine the
world’s favorite desserts; cakes, cookies, cobblers, candies, even crème
brulee. So many ingredients are being tossed into ice cream mixtures for
texture, taste and originality. Even traditional flavors are being given new
spins in more contemporary directions, elevating layers of taste and texture.
There are flavors that are bringing in savory elements, like
red beans and avocados, not just the old school pistachios or nuts. This is yet
another way to bring the contemporary into the old school creation of ice
cream, making the frozen dessert multi dimensional and exciting.
Now, try out your own ice cream creations, here are two
recipes to start you off: Philadelphia/ American style and New York/ French style. Enjoy!!
*Be sure to check out my sources. page, where there is a complete works cited for this FoodFact.
RER
9.5.2012
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| RER 11.2011 |
[1]Ice Cream
Facts http://weirdfacts.com/fun-facts-a-stuff/71-ice-cream.html
[2] Wikipedia,
Alton brown, Weirdfacts
[3] Alton Brown,
Good Eats episode “Churn Baby Churn”
[4] FDA Ice
Cream Regulations http://www.ehow.com/list_7480057_fda-ice-cream-regulations.html,
United States Department of Agriculture Standard for
Ice Cream
[5]FDA Ice Cream
Regulations http://www.ehow.com/list_7480057_fda-ice-cream-regulations.html
[6] FDA Ice
Cream Regulations http://www.ehow.com/list_7480057_fda-ice-cream-regulations.html
[7] Alton Brown,
Good Eats episode “Churn Baby Churn”
[8] Melissa
Clark, “Eggless Ice Cream Lets the Flavors Bloom,” nytimes.com
[9] Alton Brown,
Good Eats episode “Churn Baby Churn”
[10]Melissa
Clark, “Eggless Ice Cream Lets the Flavors Bloom,” nytimes.com
[11]Ice Cream
Facts http://weirdfacts.com/fun-facts-a-stuff/71-ice-cream.html
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food for thought...