ICE CREAM MAKING 539 



Holding 



If but a single batch of ice cream is made, it can be most 

 easily and economically held by merely scraping the dasher, 

 packing down the ice cream, covering the can, drawing away 

 the water, and repacking in the freezer tub with fresh ice and 

 salt. If more than one batch is to be run, it should be trans- 

 ferred as soon as convenient into cans which have previously 

 been well cooled. If they are filled when warm and then set 

 into the freezing vat, there will be some loss of volume, and 

 coarse crystals of ice will form on the bottom and around the 

 walls of the cans. If water is allowed to surround this holding 

 can, the ice cream will harden more uniformly and more quickly, 

 but will not become so firm as it will finally become if the water 

 is drawn away and a fresh quantity of salt and ice is packed 

 about it. 

 Re-hardening ice cream. 



Ice cream that is being held and which has become weak from 

 rising temperature should be re-hardened with great care; 

 for if the mass has become materially melted and then is re- 

 hardened without being run through the freezer, large water 

 crystals will form, causing the mass to become coarse, spiny, and 

 very unpleasant. Then, again, there is great probability that 

 some of the skim-milk portion containing large quantities of 

 sugar has settled to the bottom, and that the portions richer in 

 fat have moved upwards ; in which case the bottom few inches 

 of contents will be found, when it reaches the consumer, to be but 

 little better than a lot of sweetened ice crystals. The mass of 

 re-hardening ice cream may be well mixed with a heavy spoon 

 while being frozen. This procedure prevents this settling out. 

 However, at best such re-hardened ice cream will become rela- 

 tively coarse grained and spiny, and a considerable loss in 

 volume will occur. 



