Ice Cream Overrun: The Key Factor is Air
Ice Cream Overrun equates to the importance of the percentage of air during the freezing process. As one of the world’s favorite sweet snacks, ice cream has firmly cemented itself in popular culture. This is particularly impressive.
The reason is because ice cream is, by its very nature, rather simple to make.
The question remains. How do relatively basic ingredients produce such an incredible and luxurious eating experience? Well, there’s a magic ingredient. It’s something as simple as air. As it’s better known in the trade, it’s the overrun.
Let us throw you a few bones about this critical factor.
What is ice cream overrun?
Overrun is a term used to describe the amount an ice cream mix expands during the freezing process. The overrun is usually defined as a percentage. If a mix has an overrun of 100%, it will double in size during the freezing process. However, percentages tend to be between 35% and 65%. The amount required varies on the machine and the desired finished effect.
Why is overrun important?
It greatly influences all of the elements that make ice cream a delicious treat.
Overrun is responsible for how ice cream appears in terms of its structure. If ice cream is to form scoop balls or rise from a cone, then overrun is essential. Secondly, it’s responsible for the taste of ice cream. Ultimately, it provides the lightness that helps to make ice cream delicious.With the optimal amount of overrun, ice cream will be smooth. In addition, it will be able to support its own weight. Simultaneously, it will remain soft enough to eat and produce a wonderful taste.
What happens if a good percentage isn’t achieved?
Without overrun, ice cream simply isn’t ice cream. In some cases it may become too hard. In other cases it may have a rough texture or the taste will be muted. In terms of aesthetics, ice cream with unsuitable overrun can look like a liquid. Obviously, this would be problematic when seeking to create cones or beautifully-layered sundaes.
As a result, anyone producing ice cream has to be aware of the importance of overrun to the finished product. While the flavors you choose or the toppings you intend to offer are important, overrun is what will ultimately dictate the success of any ice cream you’ve created.
What is the optimal percentage?
An overrun of between 50-60% is generally considered to be preferable when seeking to make soft ice cream. An ingredient mix of 10 gallons will result in 15-16 gallons of finished ice cream. The amount that can be achieved tends to depend on the machine. The denser the ice cream (less overrun), it’s our opinion the more the mouth will appreciate it!!
Our machines produce an overrun of about 20%. Contact us to determine why we believe this. Not everyone in the industry may agree. We stand behind this and would like to tell you why.
Wrapping Up Ice Cream Overrun
There’s a lot that goes into the creation of a wonderful ice cream. Flavor selection, toppings and serving styles are essential parts of the picture. Above all; however, perfecting the ice cream overrun will be what takes your ice cream to the next level.
We hope this blog has helped you to understand what’s needed to produce a quality ice cream product. You can always reach out to Tony Carey via the contact button on this post. You can speak to him more in depth about your business and how to create a profit producer with ice cream products!
