Blog, Delicious, Drinks

Ways to Make Ice Cream Work For You

Ice cream can be defined as a cold sweet food usually eaten as a dessert or a snack. It is made from a mixture of some or all of these food items: milk, cream, butterfat, eggs, sugar, and flavoring.

If you are interested in knowing the best kitchen tools used in making ice cream, visit FoodPlusIce website.

Ice cream has various meanings to different people as it comes in varying types. These types all have sweet tastes but are made of different ingredients. 

The common types of ice cream are:

  • Gelato: This type of ice cream was created by the Italians. It is made of whole milk, without the addition of cream. There is usually also the absence of eggs and stabilizers. This would result in a thick texture with a low percentage of milk fat.
  • Frozen Yogurt: This is a common and well-loved type of ice cream. It is made using a similar recipe as the traditional ice cream, however with less fat which is replaced by yogurt.
  • Sorbet: This type of ice cream is much lighter in texture and flavor than the others. It is made with no dairy, rather egg whites are used to keep the mixture together.
  • Sherbet: This type of ice cream must not contain above 3% and below 1% of milk fat. It is made with a mixture of milk, egg whites, fruit juice, etc. Read its history here.
  • Ice Cream: This is the traditional type of ice cream most people are accustomed to. Its mixture must contain above 10% milk fat.

It is a known fact that adults and children love ice cream. There is always this caution to eating ice cream as it can increase body fat and blood sugar.

However, ice cream does have some benefits. 

Through the benefits, you can find ways through which ice cream works for you.

1. Health Benefits: While consuming ice cream, be aware of its health benefits. These health benefits include that it provides the body with vitamins such as A, B-6, B-12, C, and D. It also supplies minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. Calcium helps to maintain the bones and teeth, as well as reduce the risk of breast cancer. It also produces instant energy. Ice cream helps to boost the immune system because it is made of fermented dairy that protects from different respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.

2. Makes One Happier: Are you aware that the consumption of ice cream can make a person happier? This is because it produces a hormone called serotonin. This Hormone makes us feel happier and less stressed. Ice cream can be made to work for you when you experience low moments.

3. Increases Libido: Ice cream can also be used to improve sexual intimacy between couples. Ice cream contains phosphorus which maintains the level of testosterone and male libido.

4. Maintains Weight: It is often believed that the consumption of ice cream can lead to weight gain. This may be true, especially if it is consumed in excess quantities. However, low – fat ice cream can also be used to control body weight. When you think about food, you take a scoop of low-fat ice cream, and the calcium it contains would do the rest of the work.

Drinks

Essential Equipment for Making Ice Cream

Ice cream is yummy, exciting, mouth-watering, interesting but sometimes is a difficult thing to make. Without the right equipment, you cannot make tasty ice cream.

We have made a list of the essential equipment for making ice cream below.

  • Forks and Whisks: It is best to let your hands do most of the job. Whipping the cream using whisks is a way many ice cream makers like to make their ice cream. A balloon whisk is the best for this job. You can also have other tiny whisks on your racks. Forks are the best for blending, tasting, or prodding the flavours for the ice cream.
  • Vitamix blenders: The best in the market for pulverization. They can be used to make purees or gazpacho as well.
  • Icecream Machine: The most important equipment for making quality ice cream. However you don’t have to empty our pockets. Buy a reasonably priced one which does the job.
  • Sieve: Texture is critical for good ice cream. Therefore sieving is a major step while making ice creams. When adding fruits for flavour, the seeds can get very annoying and sieve will come to your rescue at such times.
  • Silicone spatulas and spoons: Ice creams are cold but sometimes making sauces and jams for it involves heat. Heat-proof silicone kitchenware will help you work at higher temperatures.
  • Blowtorch: Crucial for any dessert that involves caramelization, blowtorch can add an oomph factor to your dish.
  • Zeroll dishers: Scooping out cold and icy ice cream is difficult. The Zeroll dishers are a pro at doing this job for you easily. Its handle has a solution which transfers the heat from hand to the scooping bowl. Isn’t it the most convenient way to scoop out the ice cream?
  • Spade spoons: They are the best way to enjoy hard ice cream because of the flat surface that is tapered at the end. You no longer need the teaspoons to eat your ice cream.
  • Aprons: Making ice cream is a messy job especially when you are experimenting with new flavours. A long and sturdy apron that fits you well is a must in your kitchen. They should also be easy to wash to save you time and a pocket in the front to stuff towels is a bonus.
  • Ziploc Freezer Bags: A great way to freeze your ice cream with a few hours is by using the Ziploc bags. They are even easy to use and later scoop out the ice cream.
Home Made

A Delicious Treat With This Banana Ice Cream Recipe

Bananas can make a wonderful and yummy ice cream. Shocked! Read on the article to find out how you can turn this amazing fruit into creamy ice cream. With just one ingredient you can have a delicious treat with this Banana Ice Cream recipe. This method does not need you to own an expensive ice cream maker. It is pretty simple and straightforward.

 All you need to do is freeze some bananas and puree them in a food processor to get gooey and creamy ice cream. If you are a vegan, allergic to dairy, gluten-free or on a sugar-free diet then this ice cream is for you. Due to the pectin present in bananas they don’t turn icy or flaky after being frozen like other fruits. This gives it a rich creamy texture.

There are a lot of variations that can be done with this recipe which are mentioned at the end of this article. To make your banana ice cream all you need are ripe bananas. Let us dive into the actual steps of making this ice cream. The total time needed to make this is about 2 hours and the recipe below will give you 2 servings.

Pick a large ripe banana that is soft and sweet. Peel it and chop it into smaller pieces in any shape. Make sure they are evenly sized that can be easily be mashed in your food processor. Place them in an airtight container that is freezer safe or a freezer bag. Freeze the bananas for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight until they are solid. After they are frozen, put them in a blender or a food processor and blend them until you see the banana breaking up.

Scrape the jar and continue blending. The banana will now look like they are smashed, scrape the jar again and continue blending. Blend again and you will see the banana get smoother and it will look like oatmeal. There will be chunks of banana still in it, so scrape the jar again and blend it. At this point, you will see the mixture turning into creamy and soft-serve ice-cream-like texture. Blend it for another couple of seconds this will aerate it further. You can add other ingredients like honey, peanut butter, or chocolate chips in it.

Transfer the ice cream into an airtight container and let it freeze for an hour. It can be eaten immediately also if you like the ice cream soft.

Enjoy!

Blog, Foods

The History of Ice-Cream

Heat in summers is unbearable and has often made people find ways to cool themselves. During this quest, a genius still unknown had discovered the initial ice cream. Not only was it a cool invention at that time but today it has become a popular dessert. Enjoying ice creams in summers and even in winters is as common as any other work in every part of the world.

When you see the history of ice cream you will realize how smart the early civilization was. Its timeline has evolved immensely and today we see innumerable flavors and kinds of ice cream.

Ice cream has been around for a long time, but where exactly did it come from? This graphic below might have the answers!

China was the country that invented the first ice cream-like dessert in 97 AD. Between 618-97 AD, many variations of the dish became popular. King Tang of Shang supposedly had about 94 icemen that were dedicated for making a variety of ice cream with buffalo milk, camphor, and flour. A very closer dish was made in 200 BC in China where milk was mixed with rice and frozen in snow.

There are also proofs that suggest Roman emperors’ interests in ice cream. They had slaves who were sent to the mountains for bringing fresh snow. This snow was flavored differently and served as ice-cream. Another famous finding is that Charles I, the King of England, paid 500 pounds to his ice cream chef every year. This was offered so that the recipe could be kept a secret from the country.

Ice cream became popular outside China after Marco Polo introduced it to Italy. It is said that during his exploration in China he found out ice creams and the process of making it. He then revealed the recipe to Italians. However, few argue that the recipe Marco Polo shared was similar to what we call as sherbet today. When Catherine de Medici from Italy married France’s Henry II, she introduced the concept of ice cream to France in 1553. Only in 1660 was this royal dessert introduced to the general public. Café Procope which was the first café in Paris had an ice cream made from blending milk, butter, cream and eggs. The credit of this modern recipe goes to the owner of the café, Sicilian Procopio.

Even prior to the actual ice cream’s invention, Alexander the Great had a weakness for ice and snow flavored with nectar and honey. There are a few Biblical references showing that King Solomon also liked iced drinks during the harvest season. Nero Claudius Caesar also had runners who were sent to mountains to bring snow which was flavored using various fruits and juices.

Thanks to this genius invention and the invention of refrigerators that we can enjoy this amazing dessert at the comfort of our house.

Home Made

How to Make Ice-Cream at Home

How to Make Ice-Cream at Home

Ice creams are to die for and homemade ice creams are a healthy way to satisfy your sugar cravings. You don’t need an expensive fancy looking equipment to make ice cream at home. With just minimum ingredients that can be easily found at the supermarket, you can easily make your favorite ice cream. The entire process takes no longer than 5 to 10 minutes.

This method of making homemade ice cream is quick and easy to make the delicious creamy scoop of this frozen dessert. Follow the method below with our secret ingredient to enjoy homemade ice cream.

The ingredients that you need to make ice cream are milk, sugar and vanilla essence. You will need 2 to 3 cups of crushed ice or ice cubes, 1 small ziplock bag, 1 large ziplock bag for ice and our secret ingredient: coarse salt for freezing the ingredients.

To begin with, you need to add sugar (as needed) in a cup of milk. Pour half a teaspoon of vanilla essence into this. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour this mix into the smaller plastic ziplock bag. Make sure you seal it tightly after removing any trapped air inside the plastic bag. Put the ice in the large ziplock bag and add about one-third cup of coarse salt into it. Place the bag with milk into this large bag and seal it properly.

Now all you need to do is continuously shake the bag for five minutes. Since the bag is filled with ice, it will be too cold to handle with bare hands so you can wear gloves or wrap it with a thick cloth. After vigorous shaking, the liquid starts to harden and turn into ice cream. Once it has completely hardened, place it on a flat surface and allow it to settle for a few minutes. Open the bag and enjoy your homemade ice cream.

Wondering how this happened? All thanks to the coarse salt. When ice is mixed with salt, its freezing point lowers by 2 degrees. This makes the liquid freeze quickly when compared to freezing it with just ice.

For making more ice cream you only need to double up the ingredients. And to make different flavors, you only need to add different essence. You can also add any fruit to the liquid to make it a fruit ice cream or add chocolate chips to it.