Several countries (US especially) are used to cheaply made ice cream, mostly either re-sold from major brands or “made” on site from powder mixes, pre-made bases, artificial flavorings and colorants. People think everybody can easily make it, that you don’t need to know much or you just google “how to make it” – this is not the case with true artisan gelato!
Thickeners, emulsifiers & fibers are common ingredients in both industrial & artisanal gelato. There is also a lot of misinformation about these ingredients so I thought about creating a downloadable training document dedicated to them to clear things up once & for all.
In this document you will learn what they are, how they are made, what they do in gelato & frozen desserts, where & which one to get to match your own personal production style & process.
You probably heard of the term “stabilizer” which indicates either just thickeners or a blend of thickeners & emulsifiers. I like to separate these two because we will learn that they serve different purposes and also they don’t need to be used together all the time necessarily.
In gelato we have 2 big issues that thickeners & emulsifiers help you address:
Gelato is served at a warmer temperature than ice cream, therefore a lot of water is still free and not frozen, about 30% (that’s why gelato is so soft when we scoop): the more water is frozen the harder it gets, this is why in your home freezer it gets harder. Free water is your number one enemy in creating the perfect structure; it works against you and the quality of your product!
The second issue we are having in gelato is the fact that in the same mix we have both water & fat, which must coexist and “play nicely” together. As we know from school, fat & water don’t really mix well together (think about olive oil bubbles in a glass of water), so we need to “emulsify” them to create a uniform solution (make sure their molecules bind together instead of separating).
Therefore with the term “Stabilizer” (used here as a mix of both thickeners & emulsifiers) we indicate a product that does exactly what the name suggests: it helps stabilizing your gelato by trapping extra free water (it thickens your mix) & by binding fat & water molecules (helping creating a warmer, smoother & creamier texture).
Vegetable fibers are powders that come directly from plants or fruit & vegetables. Some, in contact with water, create a gel; some others that are not soluble will absorb lots of water and help with structure. You can buy blend of fibers already created for you and they do differ A LOT from company to company so it’s always good to test before you buy.
Fibers are mostly used in sorbetti & vegan gelato along with your stabilizers to help absorbing event more water and create a better, creamier structure. You need them when solids and fibers (fruit fibers) are low.
If you would like to learn everything you need about this topic, please refer to the guide I put together exactly for you! You can request it HERE.
If you have any questions please email me directly! Always happy to help,
Vincenzo