So, can I put the whole ice cream machine in the freezer while it's running?
That's what I just did a minute ago after the thing ran on the counter for a half hour with nothing happening... I have a Krups La Glaciere...
The custard-base was in the fridge overnight and was cold when poured into the machine, whose base unit was in the freezer overnight and all day today...
My freezer was level 3 out of 5, but everything in there already was rock solid frozen...
Disheartened...
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sunshine842
Dec 31, 2011 02:35 AM
I wouldn't, simply because the heat from the motor in the closed freezer will heat up the freezer.
Maybe not by much, but potentially enough to keep the ice cream from freezing properly.
Big difference from putting in the garage to keep the whole thing slow -- the airspace in a garage is big enough to not be impacted by the heat from the motor.
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Adrienne
Dec 30, 2011 12:32 AM
I have a cheap ice cream machine and I've found that the entire texture issue is immediately resolved when I just freeze the bucket longer. AT LEAST 3 or 4 days in the freezer, and then it spins on my counter for 30 minutes and the texture is perfect. I think you have to *start* with the bucket really cold to get the right texture, so putting it in the freezer afterwards would be insufficient.
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Mild Bill
Dec 29, 2011 06:30 PM
Thanks everybody... Yeah, the custard base was very cold when I poured it in...
Here's a weird thing... After I gave up on it, I simply removed the motor, put the whole thing in the freezer and went to sleep... It's been 24 hours--- the ice cream is flat and frozen, with no aeration, but not rock solid...
The liquid inside the base is swooshy still--- so I guess my freezer is not cold enough... Very interesting, because everything else in the freezer is frozen solid...But I took a spoon to it, and it's delicious... Ice crystals yes, but still freaking yummy...
Ginger, sweetness, creaminess, is dead on, just not smooth because of the ice crystals...In the spirit of not giving up, I added an ice-cold blend of strong home-brewed green & black tea to the canister and stirred it in, breaking up chunks until it appeared like soft ice cream... I put the motor and blade back on, hoping it will aerate and the crystals will diminish...
I doubt it's gonna be smooth like Haagen Daz, but it's spinning in the machine now, thick and aerating like what I was hoping for yesterday, so I may have at least saved it...
Another 15 minutes and I'll scoop it into a tub with a lid and turn up the freezer...
It'll be interesting how the texture ends up after all this craziness...›4 Replies-
re: Mild Bill
num nums
Dec 29, 2011 07:52 PM
As others have said, the recipe is fine.
As Acgold7 mentioned, you definitely should invest in a fridge/freezer thermometer. Or at least borrow one. A freezer's setting numbers are very relative. Just because your peas are frozen, doesn't mean your freezer is cold enough for the canister. Just for the day or two before when I'm chilling the canister I crank my freezer to the coldest setting. The colder the canister, the better the results.
Here are some links for ice cream making tips:
http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2008/06/10-ten-tips-for-making-homemade-ice-cream-success.html
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/07/... -
re: Mild Bill
Caitlin McGrath
Dec 30, 2011 12:06 PM
Your freezer isn't cold enough, as others have said. I recently had this problem with my Cuisinart ice cream maker. Everything in the freezer was frozen solid but the insert wasn't cold enough even after being in for several days. I bought a freezer thermometer and also pulled out the fridge and cleaned the back of it, and now the freezer's down to zero and the ice cream maker's behaving. At the least, you should put your freezer on its coldest setting.
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I have been known to do this frequently, especially if I want to serve the ice cream right after churning. I run the power cord out the freezer door-- the door gasket is pretty soft and the freezer door seals shut around the cord. I don't know if it makes a big difference in reality, but in my mind, it seems to speed things up a bit. It hasn't seemed to affect the performance of the machine.
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I don't think putting the whole unit in the fridge will make a significant difference. The bowl should be frozen through so while putting it in the fridge may prolong its warming time, the ice cream should freeze in the mixer fast enough that the effects of the fridge won't be as important. I'd be looking at the recipe or the fact that the canister wasn't frozen enough.
As for the recipe, did you chill the mix before you put it in the machine? Because if you have heated the mixture, then poured it hot or really warm into the canister, its going to have a tough time freezing. Most sites suggest cooling the ice cream mix in the fridge, often overnight, before pouring it into the canister. -
Most likely your freezer isn't cold enough. If it isn't at zero or below the canister likely will not be cold enough to truly freeze the ice cream. Most manufacturers also say the canister has to be frozen for at least 24 hours.
It's essential to have a freezer thermometer so you can tell exactly what the freezer temp is.
I doubt the lemon juice has anything to do with it.
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num nums
Dec 28, 2011 09:01 PM
It seems the canister unit wasn't left in the freezer long enough. I've used a Donvier and Cuisinart.units. Usually I leave the base unit at least 2 full days in the freezer.
How liquidy was your ice cream after 30 minutes of churning? Did it not thicken at all?
Also, what was the recipe?
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re: num nums
Mild Bill
Dec 29, 2011 07:14 AM
I added a teaspoon or two of Vanilla extract in the beginning of the churn--- maybe the alcohol messed me up...
2 Cups milk (I used half & half)
4 Yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons of grated ginger...Juice of 1/2 lemon added to the beginning of the churn...
The Vanilla extract --- 2 tsp tops...I'll try it again using a proper vanilla bean, and I'll leave the frozen base in the freezer longer, in a colder freezer...
Could the lemon have been a culprit as well?-
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re: Pia
babette feasts
Dec 29, 2011 02:24 PM
A few TB of lemon juice would not make a custard base less likely to freeze, and the alcohol in that amount of vanilla is not enough to have a significant effect. Sugar, salt, and alcohol lower the freezing point; lemon juice has none of those.
Was your cold cylinder completely frozen solid, or still slushy? Slushy doesn't work.
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re: ipsedixit
Why not? I've put my ice cream maker in the garage in winter to help it keep cold while running, and this doesn't seem much different. I can't think of any reason the electronic operation would be affected by cold temps for the short time required to freeze the ice cream. Have you tried it and had it not work?
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