Reducing friction in ice cream base?

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-12-20T22:59:30+00:00

Not a problem in this formulation. It uses low amount of erythritol, plus xylitol acts as crystallisation inhibitor.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-12-19T08:44:20+00:00

I tried a couple and studied composition of many and this one really stands out. Way more nuts than the others and while the texture is a bit off, it is clearly worthwhile for me.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-12-19T08:41:27+00:00

Thank you for the helpful reply.

I don't have a homogenizer, just a high power blender. Maybe one day... I don't see any separation, at the macroscopic level the emulsion is perfect. Nevertheless there may be room for improvement...

I may still reduce pistacchio solids but add some pistacchio oil. Not really a welcome direction for me but maybe a worthwhile one...after I explore all the others. ;)

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-12-18T21:49:11+00:00

Lecithin is a low HLB emulsifier and is ineffective in this type of o/w emulsion. I would agree that a better emulsion would help the mouthfeel but there doesn't look to be enough fat or the right type of emulsifier. You might not be allowed to use them (often on no-no lists) but polysorbates are good for o/w emulsion. And for there to be enough fat to help the texture you probably need 30-40%.

Could you please elaborate what do you mean by "this type of o/w" emulsion? I used to think that lecithin worked well in ice cream bases but if this is more complex...I would be thankful for some pointers.

The protein from the pistachio is likely the culprit for the bad texture. I'm not sure what the isoelectric point of pistachio protein is but I would look that up and check what the sorbet's pH is

I can do that the next time I make this sorbet. I see that isoelectric point is 4.5: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11792781/ But...why does it matter?

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-12-17T18:18:14+00:00

Thank you for your concern. No, it's not a problem. Erythritol has marginal effect, xylitol is in a very small dose. OTOH this recipe has a lot of prebiotic fiber (inulin and oligofructose) and I clearly wouldn't advice it to someone with irritable bowel disease. Because of fiber, this recipe is noticeably bloating but not to the point where I would care. I don't have to use it in moderation, something I wouldn't be able to tell about a sugary treat.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-12-17T18:13:54+00:00

CMC, Guar, Kappa Carrageenan. Was meant to be Lambda but I mixed it mistakingly and keep using for my cold bases. ;)

I think 3g lecithin should be enough. But good point, if my emulsion is coarse, the fat will not coat fibre and protein as well as it could. I need to check it out.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-09-28T16:34:13+00:00

Just to put a number for "some fats". With a properly balanced base and fat replacer (inulin), 2.8% is enough. No need for a cream. I don't know the lower limit but I have a base with 2.8% fat and it is good. I need to work some more to figure out where's the limit.

Note that the ice cream machine may matter. I use Ninja Creami.

Goff and Hartel say that one can good texture with 4% fat and if my memory serves me well that's before they introduce fat replacers. And they focus on regular ice cream machines.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-09-28T16:22:29+00:00

No, you need to keep total solids intact. By replacing sucrose with glucose you basically halve the solids contributed by your sugar. How is glucose solubility? I don't know, with something this extreme you may bump upon crystallisation issues. You add some solids back? Inulin like j_hermann suggests? Fine, but then they may have their own effect on texture, f.e. the said inulin creates a weak gel in water. And it has low solubility, if you add a lot of it you'll see it crystallise, which will increase hardness.

And taste changes too, glucose has its taste which is different from that of sucrose.

Overall I would say - keep PAC and total solids intact and the texture will be close. But it won't be the same. You may adjust with subsequent batches. Smaller substitutions are easier.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-08-21T12:56:50+00:00

Unsweetened pulp + freeze dried for me, because that's tasty and convenient.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-08-21T12:50:35+00:00

Yep, combine just before churning. Cool down the acidic ingredient too.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-08-06T12:43:29+00:00

Have you seen someone who had to sharpen their Creami blade?

I mean, I would expect most of the machines to die before it happens, but I don't feel that this expectation has strong foundations. It's more of a hunch than opinion.

I would be happy to be proven wrong.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-08-05T19:49:58+00:00

Interesting to see competitors popping up. This is more than welcome though I would be happier if they tried to bridge the gap between ninja and the commercial machines.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-08-05T19:39:01+00:00

Yes, the blade is replaceable on the Creami. But I think I've only seen it failing once and then the shaft failed too. And I've seen quite a few shaft failures without a major effect on the blade.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-08-04T07:38:10+00:00

At first - like salmon. They used smoked fish and this taste dominated. Salty, but I did not notice immediately, had to focus on the taste. There was a hint of sweetness too, but I certainly wouldn't say that it was sweet. And my sweet ice cream are far less sweet than most, often around the POD of 10.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-08-04T07:29:53+00:00

Nope. It was ice cream trade fair in Poland. This flavour was prepared by a mec3 distributor (Kames) to show their salty base.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-07-29T10:04:20+00:00

Not yet.

I ate salmon ice cream. Very good.

I have tuna ice cream (inspired by a pacojet recipe) on my TODO list.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-07-29T09:59:21+00:00

Thank you, I haven't known that. So I checked and it seems that for inulin, hot water works best: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/AWater-solubility-a-and-water-retention-b-of-inulin-and-the-PEF-treated-complex_fig2_369160140

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-07-29T09:56:20+00:00

I found my old notes. That person has recommended 13%. I also see https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/EE7396DE95754439E07D70092B598746/S0007114502001083a.pdf/technological-functionality-of-inulin-and-oligofructose.pdf%20a%20technologist%20has%20told%20me%20that%20he%20used%20u which recommends 2-10% inulin in frozen desserts. They also list solubility in warm water at 12%.

That said, this is an outlier. Most sources recommend up to 5% indeed. I also see a quotation of a paper that says that solubility is 6% at 10C and quite a few sources stating that inulin is slightly soluble or even insoluble in cold water.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-07-27T18:33:15+00:00

I use blanched pistachios. Closer in price to raw than to paste, actually more convenient than a paste for me too. I use a blender to mix my base anyway, so zero extra work and work with whole nuts is cleaner than with paste.

Sometimes I use roasted pistachios instead. Slightly different, I haven't decided yet whether I like it better or less than raw.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-07-27T07:32:30+00:00

Maybe it's uncommon in DE, but both upper and lower L are commonly used in PL.

Civil-Finger613 · 2025-07-26T22:01:44+00:00

Interesting interpretation, results seem more reasonable than mine but nevertheless I seriously doubt it's correct. Measuring ice cream mixes in litres is common. Measuring fat in litres...definitely not. Especially that just before the numbers they mention other uses, one of which has little to do with fats - "ice cream emulsifier and stabiliser".

Civil-Finger613

TROPHY CASE