“What makes a good ice cream?” Is it the taste? Texture? Temperature? Consistency or its Appearance? You can have your interpretation of this question, but one thing is a fact— good ice cream will be fulfilling.
Ideal ice cream will vary from person to person. It is a highly debatable concept. Regardless of how people define a good ice cream, we at Tasty Ice Cream aim to look at the equation with a completely objective lens. Hence, be it salted caramel or strawberry shortcake; good ice cream will be graded according to the following list. Let’s dive in:
Appearance
Kids, unlike adults, will often look at the color and the appearance of ice cream before anything else. Some adults, maybe you, choose an ice cream based on its aesthetic appeal. One can marvel at the colorful freezers with windows of creamy goodness. The look of an ice cream plays an important role in deciding whether or not it is good ice cream. Let’s make one thing clear: the appearance shouldn’t betray the customers. The look should reflect the product. Imagine how disappointing it would be to pick a rose-colored scoop, only to discover it’s not a strawberry but a banana. Yikes!
Perfectly good ice cream will have a soft swirl that hypnotizes the customers, not really, and encourages them to dig in. Remember, color, swirl, and authenticity, and you are good to go. If nothing works out…well, ice cream is ice cream!
Consistency
Consistency matters! It will either make or break your ice cream. Nobody likes ice crystals or sloppy structures. To make sure that you get the right consistency for good ice cream, consider studying its structure. Or get a good ice cream machine.
For an ideal consistency, focus on the churning process and salt. A perfect balance between the elements above will keep your ice cream from turning into an ice crystal or a slush. The freezing point of good ice cream uses the ideal amount of salt, which helps lower the freezing point. This will prevent ice crystals from building up. Secondly, churning will make sure that the ice cream freezes specifically. If you can practice and perfect both of them, your ice cream will be delicious.
‘Furthermore, adding certain products like cream and milk will result in smoothness and an airy light feels to the ice cream. If you want a soft and creamy scoop, add a bit of wine or fruit preserves.
Texture
To make good ice cream is to make it creamy, soft, and smooth. Look, no one wants to eat it with utensils nor find themselves suffering a brain freeze because of its icy texture. Your ice cream should be gentle to your taste buds. To enjoy it is to lick it instead of taking hard, aggressive bites. Good ice cream should quickly melt in your mouth. If the texture is full of crystals or is hard, there’s some problem with the making process.
The texture of ice cream is formed during dynamic freezing. It is a process where the ice cream is churning, solidifying, and freezing simultaneously. If the ice cream isn’t churned the right way, it will birth large chunks of ice crystals and potential brain freeze. Your ingredients should be carefully calculated and thought out, as every component will result in the ice cream’s texture and taste.
Adding dairy products instead of water-dense liquid to your ice cream mixture will prevent crystals from forming. To make good ice cream is to prevent it from being chunky.
Taste
Can we be any more obvious? Okay, but hear us out: imagine finding the perfect-looking scoop with a texture that just melts in your mouth. However, the minute you take a bite, yikes! It tastes horrible! It isn’t sweet or savory; it is a complete disaster. See, no matter how pretty your ice cream is if it tastes bad, it’s bad! The flavor of your ice cream matters as it shapes your entire ice cream tasting experience.
Here are some ways that make a good ice cream tasty. Firstly, it is made from natural products. If you pick a mango ice cream made from mango flavoring instead of real mango itself— it will taste bad. Keep your ingredients as fresh as possible and avoid turning to alternatives. No artificial flavors!
Secondly, one flavor should complement the other. Say, if you choose a dark chocolate scoop, pair it with a sweeter one. In this way, the bitter and sweet taste will make your taste buds dance. Do not add flavors that overpower each other. Stick to those that thrive individually as well as collectively.
If you can’t think of the perfect combos, hop onto the Tasty Ice Cream website, and we will delight you with tons of options.
Melting Point
The quest to find an ice cream that never melts is still on. However, you can focus on creating an ice cream that doesn’t quickly melt in the meantime. How? By focusing on the ingredients and the temperature. You can follow a recipe to score the perfect consistency. As for temperature, you don’t want it too cold or too warm. An ice cream that is too cold will hurt your teeth and brain.
On the other hand, a warm ice cream…well, one might call it soup. To make good ice cream is to make it drippy. It should be on the verge of melting. The melting point is based on the structure of the ice cream. The outer layer will be soft and ready to melt; the interior layer should be frozen but not to the point of inconvenience.
So, what is good ice cream?
Its appearance should reflect its flavor. It should be creamy and smooth. It should have no ice crystals. It tastes amazing and is as natural as possible. It should be on the verge of melting.
And how do you make good ice cream? Hop onto Tasty Ice Cream.