So, what ingredients are in a delicious tub of Purbeck Ice Cream, and why do we use these ingredients?
Ice cream typically consists of a few basic ingredients, including milk, cream, sugar, and flavourings and Purbeck Ice Cream’s richness is attributed to the 60% milk and 22% cream.
- Milk and Cream: These are the primary dairy ingredients in real dairy ice cream, providing the creamy and smooth texture. The fat content of the cream determines the richness of the ice cream.
- Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness and also helps to lower the freezing point of the mixture, preventing it from becoming too hard when frozen.
- Flavourings: These include natural ingredients to provide the desired taste. Our popular flavours include Vanilla Bean, Serious Chocolate, Salted Caramel, and fruity ones amongst others too.
- Stabilizers/Emulsifiers: These ingredients help maintain the texture and structure of the ice cream, preventing the formation of ice crystals and improving its smoothness. Common stabilizers and emulsifiers used in ice cream production include:
- Guar Gum: It is a natural thickener and stabilizer derived from the guar bean.
- Carob Bean Gum/Locust Bean Gum: Another natural thickener and stabilizer extracted from the seeds of the carob tree.
- Carrageenan: It is derived from seaweed and helps prevent ice crystal formation.
- Lecithin: A natural emulsifier derived from soybeans or eggs, which helps blend the fats and liquids together smoothly.
- Mono- and Diglycerides of fatty acids: These are emulsifiers that encapsulates fat with water, ensuring a stable mixture.
Stabilizers are particularly useful where the ice cream needs to have a longer shelf life and remain stable during storage and transportation.
In homemade ice cream recipes, stabilizers are not always required, as the ice cream is usually consumed soon after preparation. However, adding a stabilizer can still contribute to a smoother texture and help prevent ice crystals from forming during the freezing process.
More about our flavours on YouTube.
