Thanks to the folks from the Baker's Dozen suggestion, a new Forum!

By rpersad on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 03:36 pm: Edit

I need to know what makes icecream from getting frozen solid

By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 03:49 pm: Edit

It can freeze solid if it gets cold enough but otherwise the sugar acts like anti-freese.

By Ltom (Ltom) on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 11:53 pm: Edit

Too much alcohol can interfere w/ freezing solid. Are you trying to prevent it from getting too hard or are you having problems getting it to freeze solid?

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Monday, August 13, 2001 - 04:27 pm: Edit

A bad freezer, low fat content in cream, sitting on it...etc.
Too much alcohol never intefered w/ me freezing Ltom.

By TMarta on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 11:13 am: Edit

OK, let's see if anyone has a grip on this..my niece/partner has hit on a real talent for ice cream, but she is having trouble only with the strawberry version not freezing...can't be the alcohol....any other ideas that might help?

By TMarta on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 11:18 am: Edit

Oh, and does anyone have a really decent formula for substituting cocoa for baking chocolate? I accidentally hit on it once, but otherwise everything is too heavy. I love cocoa in many things, but I need a light touch for the famous family chocolate cookies. Any help here? Thanks.

By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 11:30 am: Edit

never mind

By onions on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 07:32 pm: Edit

TMarta: If you are using fresh strawberries,I would suggest sweeting them 4 parts fruit to one part berries, slice them and let them sit in the fridge untill they are chilled, use the higest butterfat cream you can get 36% or more. I use 2 large eggs, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk and 3/4 cup sugar, mix the milk &cream , beat the eggs with the sugar, drain the juice from the strawberries in to this mixture and freeze , add the fruit when the mix is setting but not to frozen, continue to freeze untill frozen. I have made homemade ice cream in a hand crank maker for the last three summers, we have followed the fruits thru the summer as they become "inseason" . another thing I have found is that how you layer the salt and ice around the drum will affect how low the tempeture goes and how quickly it gets down. the chemical reaction of the salt and ice creats a temp near -10 F . you can also remove the beater from the drum and repack ice and salt around the drum to harden the ice cream . look for the BEN & JERRY'S homemade ICECREAM & DESSERT BOOK it's a paper back low $ Michael

By TMarta on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 07:42 pm: Edit

Thanks. Onions,(Michael). I will hand this info over to J, and see if we can't manage strawberry before the season is out. It looks like an early fall here, anyway!

By Rc_fleming (Rc_fleming) on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 07:33 pm: Edit

Where can you get a good hand crank ice cream machine/ and about howmuch do they run? I've only seen electric in the Los Angeles stores and online even.

By Panini (Panini) on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 03:52 am: Edit

using a hot and cold method is the only way to incorperate fruit into icecream. Also use lube. I'm not sure of the technical name but it comes in tubes and is a stabalizer used in gelatto and things like that.SRE in Fort Worth Texas carries it.hot cold ---make anglaise-- put it up to get cold, make again with flavor dbl intense, shock it with cold anglaise and turn.
Strawbwrries are tough, the h2o in them freezes hard and the fructose will alter freezing. Use small spanish berries if possible.

By onions on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 05:07 pm: Edit

The hand crank ice cream freezer I use is made byWHITE MOUNTAIN I believe It's parent company is RIVAL, there is a moter driven accessory but I dont have it.I have never had any trouble using strawberries with the method I described but we ate the ice cream as soon as it was firm and did not try to hold it in a freezer.

By onions on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 07:15 pm: Edit

The hand crank Ice cream maker I use is a WHITE MOUNTAIN, I believe the parent co. is RIVAL, this is a nice piece of equipment the bucket is wooden the drum is stainless and the crank mech. is a solid cast piece. I think there is a moterized accessory crank but I dont have it.my employer has no electricity. Michael

By TMarta on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 07:56 pm: Edit

Thanks again, Panini..I will try my supplier this week on the 'lube". I'm not sure what exactly methods my niece has tried. She is having so much success and has something of a following starting, she is really frustrated over the strawberry.
I do know, and forgive her for not being a purist, that she has "gone mechanical" I can't possibly spare her all that time and elbow grease on a crank. She has to deal all day with me being a crank!

By Rpersad (Rpersad) on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 08:40 pm: Edit

I,m trying to prevent ice cream from getting solid...........any suggestions

By TMarta on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 08:58 pm: Edit

Let my niece make your strawberry! Seriously, a GREAT question. I hope someone can answer it. I have to restrain myself when her ice cream comes out of the machine...it is lovely at that texture. Oh, someone help, please!

By TMarta on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 09:05 pm: Edit

My baking chocolate/cocoa question wa lost in the shuffle. Does anyone have a tip on really converting cocoa into a subtle-usable form to use in place of baking chocolate? All of the diffferent formulas that I have tried come out way to heavy-fudgy. I'm looking for a soft-subtle chocolate infusement. Anyone?