In the making of ice cream, the main factors that should be considered are mixing and cooling. Mixing an ice cream mixture without the supply of cooling adds air into the mixture and prevents it from freezing. While cooling the mixture without mixing it will make the mixture a frozen solid block or turn it into a crunchy gelato.
How commercial Ice Cream Machines Work?
A Commercial Soft Serve Ice Cream Machines works by performing two functions that are mixing and cooling. The mixture of the ice cream is added into the bowl that is mainly a steel bucket. The electric-powered rotating paddles stir the mixture constantly while the built-in freezer brings the temperature of the mixture down. The mixture in the steel bucket starts to meet its freezing point and the freezing process begins. In short, commercial ice cream makers work by cooling and mixing at the same time.
How ice cream is made in commercial ice cream maker machines?
There are some steps on how ice cream is made commercially:
1.Blending: First, the ingredients are selected and are blended. High-speed blenders are used for making ice cream mixtures.
2.Pasteurization: The ice cream mixture is pasteurized in a large tank and is performed at a high temperature. Pasteurization is a control point that is designed in a system to kill pathogenic bacteria. Pasteurization reduces the number of organisms and hydrates some of the components such as proteins.
3.Homogenization: The ice cream mixture is homogenized which includes breaking down fats found in milk and cream. By producing thinner and more whipped mix, fats are reduced. This process increases the surface area of the mixture.
4.Aging: The ice cream mixture is left to set for few hours and sometimes overnight. This allows the fats to cool down and polysaccharides to fully hydrate. Aging or cooling of a mixture is performed in the refrigerated tanks and kept at as low temperature as possible. This process improves the texture of the ice cream.
5.Freezing: The flavors are added to the mixture and the mixture then enters the freezing process. This process involves freezing and whipping at the same time. The mixture is pumped through the freezer and blades inside the barrel scraps off the ice cream. While dashers inside the machine constantly whip the ice cream to incorporate air in the freezing mixture.
6.Hardening: It is the last process in which ice cream is packaged and is placed into the blast freezer. The shelf life of ice cream is dependent on the temperature setting of this freezer. Temperature above 25 can cause the growth of crystals in ice cream.
After the processing is done, the ice cream coming straight out of the machine is still very soft and needs to harden out in the freezer. That is why ice cream will continue to harden out after the ice cream has been put in its final packaging. There is not much difference between a Domestic ice cream maker and a commercial ice cream maker. The machines used for ice cream making at home perform the same processing but include a small quantity.
