GOAT MILK ICE CREAM-Using Gelling Ingredients-Make Creamy

Beebo,

I don't think you quite get what most of the emulsifiers, hydrocolloids, stabilizers, etc., do in ice cream. They don't so much control the final texture, as you seem to think, but keep the ice cream free from ice crystals as it warms up and cools down in the service/storage cycle. Since you're making your ice cream at home, not shipping it, not subjecting it to partial melts and refreezes, this isn't really an issue for you. The thickeners basically act as a substitute for fat. That also doesn't seem to be in issue. At least you haven't mentioned it. You have mentioned a distaste for custards, but if you want smooth -- we're stuck with using heat to cook the base -- then gently removing it by chilling the base thoroughly before freezing.

One of the right techniques for controlling ice cream texture is with fat via egg yolk and percentage of butterfat. Since goat cream per se isn't what you'd call available, we'll forego the butterfat option and add fat in the form of egg yolks. The yolks will also help with texture with emulsification processes and "tightening" over heat. Heating the eggs to make a custard base is another way to control texture, then sieving to remove any bubbles. FWIW, you might want to think about the fact that you need hot milk to incorporate most of the emulsifiers and hydrocolloids anyway. So, taking this option isn't going to put you out any.

Indeed, whenever the terms "smooth," "velvety" or "silky" describe the desired result for the diner, the chef's mind should be thinking "sieve," "Chinese cap," and "tamis."

A good starting recipe for rich goat ice cream would go something like this:

3 cups goat milk
2 whole vanilla beans
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup honey

Put goat milk in a sauce pan. Split vanilla beans, scrape the bean interior into the milk, add the scraped pods, and bring to a bare simmer. Remove from heat, sieve and return vanilla pods to the milk.

While milk is coming to heat, beat egg yolks until smooth and lemon colored. Remove the vanilla pods from the milk, and whisk the honey in. When the honey is incorporated, add the milk to the eggs, and mix thoroughly. Let stand to cool for a few minutes, and for the bubbles to settle. Sieve a second time. Cover with cling wrap, and hold in refrigerator until cold. When well chilled, you may process in ice cream freezer. Makes about a quart.

Note the simplicity -- which is a hallmark of any good home made ice cream recipe.

You can, if you like, cut down the egg yolks to one whole egg; add 2 tsp of powdered gelatin bloomed in 2 tsp water, and 1 tbs corn starch. Reserve 1/2 cup milk. Mix the corn starch and honey into the remainder, bring the milk and starch to a simmer, and when milk thickens remove from heat. Mix the egg into the milk, temper it with a little of the hot milk, then pour the egg mix into the milk. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes. Add vanilla extract to taste. Add bloomed gelatin. Sieve. Chill. When well chilled, you may process in ice cream freezer.

Note: Pre chilling the mixture will help keep ice crystals from forming and give you a much smoother texture. Ice crystals are the enemy.

Hope this helps,
BDL

Most ice creams that aren't cooked don't use eggs for thickening. One of the reasons to heat egg mixtures is to potentiate their thickening power. Gelatin mixtures, too Heat causes their protein molecules to contract, you see. Similarly, although for a slightly different reason, arrowroot requires heat.

The proper way to use arrowroot, is to mix the arrowroot into a "slurry," then add it to liquid, that is on the flame, and hot but slightly off the boil -- in other words, at a simmer. The mixture is taken off the heat immediately and stirred. Thickening is almost instantaneous. No extra cooking is required to get rid of any raw taste as with corn starch or flour. The proper proportion to make a slurry are 1 part arrowroot to 2 parts liquid by volume. The proper amount for yours as for most purposes is 1 tsp arrowroot per cup of liquid. If you do decide to use arrowroot, I suggest using it in combination with gelatin as follows. Bloom 2 tsp powdered gelatin in 2 tbs water. Add to the base after the arrowroot, and stir in.

Note: Arrowroot thickened sauces can be fragile. I don't know how well it will hold up in the freezer, which is one of the reasons I suggested using gelatin. When starch thickeners are used for frozen bases gelatin is often used as well in order to stabilize the air content.

Guar gum is a very powerful emulsifier. The usual dicta is 1 guar gum = 8 corn starch, but it's inexact. So, for your quart of ice cream, something between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp ought to do it for you. Guar gum does not require heat. Locust and xanthan do pretty much the same thing, I'd fool around with guar first since it's so readily available.

When it comes to ultra smooth ice cream the keys are usually: A) Lots of fat; B) Freezing very quickly to avoid formation of large ice crystals; C) Storage at a temperature above freezing; and D) Sieving the base to smooth it. You're starting with a fairly low fat milk and are not very amenable to the egg custard technique that adds more. And, storage is a problem too.

Your whipping questions are interesting. Whipping is only desirable when ice cream is made in a way that causes heavy ice crystal formation -- as in a sheet pan for instance. What type of ice cream churn/maker/freezer are you using? How long does it take to a freeze a batch?

Some ice cream makers are better than others in that they freeze faster. You don't want to "whip" ice cream. Whipping introduces air, which is not only the opposite of "rich and smooth" but will cause ice crystals formation for sure. Instead, you want to "dash" it as it's made which prevents the formation of bubbles and ice crystals. Your best solution may be to switch to a soft-serve type such as the Cuisinart and make on demand. That way, you could avoid the damage you do with your storage/service cycle.

The best suggestion I can give though is to go visit your friend with all the fixings for goat ice cream and a bottle of something to wash it down.

BDL

PS I've never heard of a physical condition requiring avoidance of cooked foods. If I'm not being indelicate, may I inquire as to its nature?

I actually had the same dilemma! My ice cream will be made of goat milk, mix of erythritol and coconut palm sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and a dash of salt. However I don't want it to have a rock hard ice cream after it spends some time in the freezer and I want a rich mouth feel as well. Of all the stabilizers I would probably use arrowroot. However I'm going to try it with chia seed gel. I'll make some chia gel using some ground chia seeds and water and I'll add one or two tablespoons of chia gel to my base before putting it in the ice cream maker. Has anyone ever tried this?

 

People who avoid cook foods are usually on a raw food diet. Raw milk (from organic pasture fed animals) is much more nutritious and more digestible than processed pasteurized homogenized milk. 

 

I'll probably gently heat my mixture just to thicken it. It's true that if you want a thicker ice cream you have to heat the custard but even raw the eggs yolks will still add fat and richness to the base. 

Btw, you could always put everything in a blender or vita-mix and while it's blending pour in some liquid nitrogen, lol. Although that's probably only feasible if you can get your hands on some liquid nitrogen!