Ice creams and sorbets
In common parlance, the term sorbet it is erroneously used to indicate various "frozen" preparations, when in reality the definition of this confectionery specialty is not so banal and obvious.
By definition, the sorbet is made up of water, sugars and pulp / fruit juice: these three basic elements of the sorbet must be found in a precise ratio, in which the sugars must not fall below 22% or exceed 30% of the weight of the mixture.
Often times, in the basic blend of the sorbet, an alcoholic component is not missing - wine, vodka, liqueur etc. - able to lower the freezing point of the mass (which is why it is a good rule not to exceed the doses). However, it is not uncommon to find egg white (or a part of Italian meringue) in the sorbet mix: the aim is not only to obtain a fluffier and fluffier sorbet, but also to lower the freezing point and prevent the formation of coarse ice crystals.
Unlike ice cream, sorbet has a semi-dense and less compact appearance. Furthermore, being devoid of thickeners, the sorbet tends to dissolve rather quickly: for this reason, it is not recommended to serve the sorbet in a cone, preferring the glass or the cup.
Originally, the sorbet had a purely digestive function: for this reason it was often served during important lunches, after first courses and before the "roast, in order to" cleanse the palate ".
Today, the formulation of the modern (real) sorbet is very close to that of a fruit ice cream.
Please note
A sorbet prepared without alcohol and without egg white can be considered a full-fledged fruit ice cream.
Although lemons, oranges and citrus fruits in general are the most popular fruits for preparing sorbets, it is not so difficult to find coffee or mint flavored "sorbets".
Kiwi sorbet
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Cream, cream and fruit ice cream
The assortment of the latest generation ice creams is so vast that it is almost unthinkable to formulate a specific recipe for each type of taste.
The in-depth knowledge of the chemical-physical properties of the basic components for ice cream (water, sugar, fats) has allowed the ice cream maker to develop an almost universal method for making mixtures.
To facilitate (and speed up) the delicate task of the ice cream maker, the mixes were standardized, preparing the so-called "bases" for ice cream in advance:
- Yellow base or egg base for cream ice creams
- Milk base or white base for cream ice creams
- Water-based or fruit-based for fruit ice creams
The choice of a "fruit base" rather than a "cream base" is not so much constrained by the taste, or rather by the organoleptic nature of the ice cream. The decisive factor is rather the quantity of total sugars, the presence (or absence) of fats and the degree of acidity of the constituents of the mixture.
"YELLOW BASE" OR "EGG" BASED ICE CREAM
The yellow bases (also called egg bases or cream bases) are mixtures for preparing quality ice creams in which egg yolks are used.
The main components of mixtures of this type are:
- Whole or semi-skimmed milk
- Fresh cream
- Egg yolks
- Sugars
Normally, the "yellow bases" are used to make ice cream with chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, nougat, vanilla, amaretto, mascarpone, zabaglione, malaga, etc. ..
The percentage of sugars recommended in this type of blends is between 16 and 22%.
The ideal quantity of fat fluctuates between 6 and 12% (of the weight of the mixture).
"WHITE BASE" OR "MILK BASE" ICE CREAM
The "white base" for ice cream (or milk base) corresponds to the classic fiordilatte flavor and is composed of:
- Whole or semi-skimmed milk
- Fresh cream or cooking cream
- Sugars
From a nutritional point of view, it is a base for ice cream that is halfway between the yellow base (enriched with egg yolks) and the fruit base (rich in sugar but free of fat).
The "milk bases" are blends suitable for preparing licorice, cocoa, mint, stracciatella, pistachio, nougat, coffee, cream, fiordilatte ice creams, etc. ..
Yogurt ice cream is always prepared with a white base.
Please note
Some ice cream flavors can be indifferently prepared with a white base or yellow base mix: the choice of "base ice cream" is at the discretion of the ice cream maker.
There is therefore no general and standardized rule for the production of ice cream: what matters is the correct balance of the mixture.
Similarly to "yellow base" ice creams, even in the cream mixes the sugars should be between 16 and 22%, while the quantity of fats should oscillate between 6 and 12% (of the total weight).
"FRUIT BASED" OR "WATER BASED" ICE CREAM
Normally, fruit ice creams do not include the addition of fats. In the formula of the mixture, only water, sugars and fruit juice (and / or pulp) appear, thus excluding milk, cream and other fats.
By not adding any fat component, the common ice cream ingredients do not appear in the formula, i.e. lactose, milk proteins and fats (the amount of S.L.N.G. is clearly zero). This means that the mixture appears slightly unbalanced in terms of total solids. In order to increase the quantity of the latter, it is necessary to increase the total solids by adding sugars. It is no coincidence that a mixture of a "water" fruit ice cream differs from that of cream or cream ice cream for the greater quantity of sugars, which varies between 26 and 30%.
To find out the exact quantity of sugar (sucrose, dextrose, etc.) to add to the mixture of water and fruit juice / pulp, it is essential to know precisely the sugar content of each type of fruit. This factor is decisive for obtaining an ice cream to quality fruit, creamy and never frozen As we know, however, the sugar content in a fruit varies according to the quality, its degree of ripeness and, of course, according to the type of fruit chosen.
For this reason, it is always advisable to use ripe and quality fruit, and to respect seasonality.
Some fruit ice creams can be prepared with a milk base: for example, fruits such as strawberries, bananas, apricots, peaches and coconut are often added to "milk based" blends. For lemon, mandarin, melon and kiwi ice creams it is usual to use the classic "water base".
The table shows the correct values (percentage limits) to balance the various types of ice cream, cream and fruit ice cream mixes.
Other articles on "Types of Ice Cream and Sorbets"
- Artisan Ice Cream - Non-Fat Solids and Dry Residue
- Ice-cream
- Sugar in Ice Cream
- Fats in Ice Cream
- Preparation of the Gelato - Balancing the mixture
- Preparation of Ice Cream - Pasteurization, Maturation, Creaming
- Making homemade ice cream
- Calories of ice cream
