ICE CREAM MAKING 515 



other things being equal, the smoother the product, whereas, the 

 leaner the cream, the coarser and more spiny is the finished 

 product. However, full more important is the manner of freez- 

 ing, which has much to do with success. If the mass is frozen 

 too rapidly, it will be coarse and full of large water crystals, 

 while if it is frozen more slowly the tendency is to improve its 

 smoothness. This outcome is not so much due to the rate of 

 freezing as to the amount of whipping or beating which ensues 

 while it is freezing. If it is frozen without any agitation what- 

 soever, the product will be extremely coarse, even unpalatable, 

 in fact thoroughly worthless as commercial ice cream, even 

 though made from a rich cream, one containing say 25 per cent 

 fat ; whereas had it been thoroughly whipped during the freezing 

 process, enough air would have been beaten into it to have pro- 

 duced a light, smooth, cushiony consistency and a fine, palatable, 

 merchantable article, even though a somewhat thin cream were 

 used. In properly made ice cream, the water freezes in very fine 

 crystals which are thoroughly interspersed with minute bubbles 

 of air. When the volume of an ice cream includes 33 to 40 per 

 cent air, the product is more velvety in texture, more pleasing to 

 the palate and richer to the taste, than is one containing no air. 

 Cream fresh from the separator or pasteurizer produces a coarse- 

 grained ice cream, whereas if kept cold (32-35°) for twelve hours, 

 it makes a smooth cream. In order that its texture may remain 

 fine for any considerable length of time, as is necessary in com- 

 mercial work, it seems to be essential that some gelatinoid binder 

 (such as gelatin, or one of the gums) be used, for when an ice 

 cream which contains no gelatinoid has been hardened and 

 held for a day or two, the water crystals grow, forming sharp 

 spines. This unpleasant change continues to increase in ex- 

 tent for some days and often makes the product very unsatis- 

 factory. Ice creams, on the other hand, which contain a gelati- 

 noid binder remain smooth much longer and grow coarse much 

 less rapidly. 



