We Made Homemade Ice Cream In A Bag, And We've Lost All Chill (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my homemade ice cream freeze? ›

The first thing to look at is the recipe. Have you added too much sugar, salt or alcohol? They will lower the freezing point of the mixture. And too much of any of these ingredients could stop the ice cream freezing altogether.

Chill Your Base Well

The initial mixture should be very cold before it hits the ice-cream machine; ideally, you'll want to refrigerate it overnight. It'll need less churning time this way, and that will keep ice crystals from snowballing.

If there isn't enough sugar or fat, or one of the ingredients overpowers the other, the ice cream may end up coagulating or separating as it freezes. This will give ice crystals plenty of space to form on your ice cream.

If you want to speed up the chill process, you can certainly use an ice bath. Set your bowl or pot of ice cream base in a much larger bowl of ice and water, and stir it as it cools. You can use your Thermapen to monitor the temp as you go so you know when you get to a low enough temperature.

If you are churning your ice cream and it is not thickening, make sure that the canister is cold. Try adding some more ice and rock salt to it. Next time, put the canister into the freezer the day before you start making ice cream. This will ensure that it is cold enough.

Sugar affects the texture by enhancing creaminess and controlling hardness levels. Too much sugar in a recipe can prevent your ice cream from freezing, and too little sugar in ice cream can make it hard.

But too much churning can cause the fat globules to stick to each other, turning the mixture into butter. Adding too much cream can ruin the whole enterprise too: A combination of cream and milk that has a total milk fat content of between 8% and 15% is the sweet—pun intended! —spot.

Remove the chilled ice cream base from the fridge and whisk well. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically 20 to 30 minutes. The ice cream will be soft after churning. For firmer ice cream, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours before serving.

Most home ice cream recipes call for simple table sugar, which is chemically known as sucrose. But in pro kitchens you have more options. Liquid sugars like invert sugar, corn syrup, honey, and glucose syrup all add body, creaminess, and stability to ice cream, and a little goes a long way.

About this method: This method is exactly as it sounds: You make an ice cream base, pour it into a shallow pan or bowl, and stir it every 30 to 45 minutes as it freezes over 4 hours.

Why is my homemade ice cream melting? ›

One of the primary factors that contribute to ice cream melting is temperature. When ice cream is exposed to a temperature above its freezing point, its molecular structure begins to break down, causing it to melt.

If the mixture isn't cold, place in the refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes. Place the mixture in a deep stainless steel baking dish and freeze for 45 minutes. As it begins to freeze near the edges, remove it from the freezer and stir vigorously with a spatula.

One possibility is that the temperature in your freezer is not low enough . Ice cream needs to be stored at a temperature between -5 and 0 degrees Fahrenheit in order to freeze properly . If your freezer is set at a higher temperature , the ice cream may not freeze completely .

The ice crystals dissolve, releasing their stored sugars. The air bubbles start to escape as the fats and proteins become thinner, and everything returns to a liquid state. Placing ice cream back in the freezer after it has melted will cause it to refreeze, but it will never be the same again.

Sugar, corn syrup or honey, as well as gelatin and commercial stabilizers, can all keep your ice cream at a softer consistency. Ice cream also stays softer when you store it in a shallow container, rather than a deep tub, and cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals from forming.