I need help making ice cream.  I have tried several batches, and it
always ends up with ice crystals.  I am looking for very specific
help.  I use a kitchen aid mixer, with the special ice cream
attachment.  What could make the ice crystals go away?  Is it more
sugar, or less sugar?  Is it more cream, or less cream?  Is it the
kitchen aid attachment isn't cold enough?  Is it more egg yolk or less
egg yolk?  Please be very detailed in what would help...

Hello williamstern~

According to comments I found online (and my own personal
experience!), if you don't leave the ice cream attachment in the
freezer long enough, the ice cream will become icy in the freezer.

It should be left in the freezer longer than the manufacturer
suggests--at least freeze 17 hours.

If you leave it in the freezer between uses, this becomes much less of a hassle.

(See Cooking.com reviews:
http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=218070&ar=1 )

Good luck!
Kriswrite

RESEARCH STRATEGY:
"kitchen aid mixer" "ice cream" freezer
"kitchen aid mixer" "ice cream" Icy

---

Request for Answer Clarification by williamstern-ga on 09 Aug 2006 20:06 PDT

I am looking for a more detailed answer.  Even I can google kitchen aid icy....

I have turned my freezer so it was colder, and that may solve the
problem in the future...I have been leaving the device in the freezer
for days before use...

But the question was multiple:  How does sugar effect it?  Cream?  How
about the egg whites?  How about salt??  What will make it easier to
be creamer, and what would make it tougher to make...Salt effects
freezing points, and I would think sugar would as well...I just
looking for detailed info..

---

Clarification of Answer by kriswrite-ga on 10 Aug 2006 10:03 PDT

Hello williamstern~

 
You asked "What would make the ice crystals go away?" and then offered
some ideas about what would do the trick. Among them was "Is it the
kitchen aid attachment isn't cold enough?"

My answer was essentially, "Yes, that's it." You really have to leave
the attachment in considerably longer than Kitchen Aid recommends.
This is assuming your freezer is set at the **standard temp** of 0
degrees. (See "Food Safety," University of MO:
http://missourifamilies.org/quick/foodsafetyqa/qafs334.htm and "What
Consumers Need to Know," USDA:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsdisas.html )

If you think your freezer is faulty, it's a good idea to buy a
freezer-proof thermometer and place it inside the freezer, to be sure
the machine is set at a safe temperature.

The correct answer is therefore simple and straightforward. Making it
more complicated would have been a disservice to you.

More and less in the way of "sugar...cream...[or] egg yolk" is not
going to remove ice crystals from the ice cream.

Later, after your original question was posted, you asked about salt.
Salt is *not* an ingredient in many, many home made ice cream recipes.
(Here are some examples, from ice_cream_recipes.com: Vanilla:
http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ice_cream_recipe_vanilla.htm ;
Chocolate: http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ice_cream_recipe_chocolate.htm
; Banana: http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ice_cream_recipe_banana.htm
. These are just a handful of examples you will find when you look at
home made ice cream recipes.)

That said, salt does lower the temperature at which water will freeze.
("Pure water freezes at 32 F or 0 C. Salt water freezes at a lower
temperature though, about three or four degrees lower." "How does salt
affect water?"
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/feb2001/983550047.Ch.r.html )


But with modern ice cream makers, there is no need to add salt in
order to get a properly frozen tub of ice cream.

I hope this clarifies things for you. If not, please consult the
Google FAQ about refunds: http://answers.google.com/answers/faq.html

Kind regards,
Kriswrite

I paid $25 dollars, and expected at least a half our of
research....The comments helped more than the google answer...

I've read that you keep it moving so that large crystals get broken up.

I'd have to agree with williamstern-ga. For $25, I would have expected
much more of an answer.

 - artqs

I disagree with Artqs. The question was "What could make the ice
crystals go away?" followed by a bunch of ideas. There was no request
to investigate each ingredient for icy efficacy. If Williamstern can
google kitchen aid icy, as is pointed out, why was it not mentioned
that he has "been leaving the device in the freezer for days before
use."

Now that Kriswrite has a better understanding of what Williamstern
actually meant, rather than what he actually asked, I am curious to
see how the various items affect the product.

The same question about beer, a very complicated drink to make, would be worth $200.

I don't doubt the validity of the research, but the amount done (15
minutes or less) as well as the simplistic answer. Williamstern-ga
clearly stated in the original question that s/he is looking for "very
specific" and "very detailed" information. A manufacturer's suggestion
is neither.

As far as the price, if kriswrite was unable to provide such an answer
for $25, the question should have been left available for other
researchers. The production of beer, as you state, is very
complicated. Making ice-cream is not.

The problem with the answer is that it is neither "very specific" nor
"very detailed" as s/he did mention as a requirement for the answer.

 - artqs

I love my KitchenAid mixer and I had no idea it has an ice cream maker
attachment. I'm excited to get one and make my own ice cream. While
searching for additional information I came across these links that
explain the complexities of making home made ice cream.

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/8245icecream.html
ICE CREAM
The finer points of physical chemistry and flavor release make this
favorite treat so sweet

http://www.baking911.com/frozen/icecream.htm
Ice Cream
See Texture Tips

http://www.101cookbooks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2938&sid=a5f2289183f50e037a4c6dba4bc85089
looking for an ice cream machine
Comment by faith: Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 5:46 pm 

http://home.howstuffworks.com/ice-cream.htm
How Ice Cream Works