This ice cream is ready when it is creamy and wavy. The total churning atime depends on your ice cream maker and could be anywhere from 30-70 minutes.
To evaluate if it is ready, lift a spoonful; it should be thick enough to stand on the spoon, but it will still be soft like soft-serve ice cream. If it looks watery or starts to melt the moment you spoon it, leave it to churn for longer.
In any case, if you feel doubts about the consistency, leave it to churn for ten minutes more. But beware: at this stage, do not expect it to be like store-bought carton ice cream; for now, it should be more like soft-serve ice cream. It will firm up and become like store-bought ice cream only after it sets in the freezer.
So, stop the ice cream maker when the ice cream is smooth and pliable. If you leave to churn it for much longer, it will start turning grainy.
Warning: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop after a specific time, which doesn’t make sense because the ice cream may need to churn for more to reach its fullest potential. So, if you notice that your ice cream maker stops on its own and upon checking the ice cream, you find that it is sloppy instead of fluffy, try to turn the machine on again and leave it to churn until it reaches the desired texture.
10 Responses
Thank you for posting this recipe. I’ve looked high and low for a recipe with these ingredients. You would think that would be easy to find . . . but not so. Do you have a similar recipe using xanthan AND guar?
Thank you for your feedback! I haven’t got to work with guar gum yet to provide you with trustworthy instructions. It is in my plans to create a collection of ice cream recipes using a range of stabilisers, so do check occasionally for new arrivals, which may fit your liking. Until then, you can rest assured that the texture of this ice cream made with just xanthan gum is divine, so I strongly encourage you to give it a try.
oh . . . . I will! And please make a chocolate one also!
Oh, I will!! 🙂
Can I use 25% fat cream and 6% full fat milk for this recipe?
Thanks
Yes, you can. But for a not-so-icy mouthfeel, I would increase the cream-to-milk ratio.
For optimal results, I would use:
– 450 g milk, 6% fat (450 ml) and
– 550 g heavy cream, 25% fat (550 ml)
But a 1:1 ratio would work too:
– 500 g milk 6% fat (500 ml) and
– 500 g heavy cream, 25% fat (500 ml)
Thank you so much for the recipe!
I was trying to make a gelato from 2,1/2 cups of milk, 2 yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar – they taste delicious, but I can’t get rid of the nasty ice crystals that I can feel between my teeth….
Is there a way to obtain a store-quality texture using only milk and stabiliser?
In other words, how to turn milk into gelato without getting a milk-sorbet 😀
Unfortunately, no, it’s not possible to make ice cream without special ingredients that are only available to professionals.
The smooth and creamy texture of ice cream depends on the right balance of fat, sugar, and water. If there’s too much water, as in the recipe you mentioned, the ice cream will contain too much water and form icy crystals when frozen.
Ice cream manufacturers and professionals have access to ingredients that allow them to reduce the fat or sugar content, but when making ice cream at home, it’s best to stick to the traditional method and maintain the balance of fat, sugar, and water.
You can reduce the heavy cream and achieve the perfect ice cream texture by following a recipe that includes xanthan gum, like the one on this webpage.
Could I add vanilla and chocolate chips to this recipe? If so, when would be the best time to add these ingredients? Thank you
Absolutely! To add vanilla extract, stir it into the ice cream mixture before churning. For chocolate chips, add them during the last minutes of churning or stir them in with a wooden spoon after churning.