Renowned throughout the world for its intense flavor, smooth texture, and low fat content, gelato is still difficult to find in the United States. It takes years to become a master chef, but with the right machine, you can create this delicious Italian ice cream in your own home. Read on to learn more about gelato machines, their history, and why many people prefer them to standard ice cream makers.
This tempting treat could only be created after centuries of work to perfect recipes passed down from the times of ancient Rome and Egypt. The original recipes were for frozen desserts created with ice brought down from mountains. These recipes eventually evolved into the treat enjoyed today, which was first served in Catherine de Medici's royal court in 1565. In the late seventeenth century, a machine was created to make the preparation process easier for chefs. Technological advances continued until portable machines were made possible in the 1920's and 1930's. With this new accessibility came new popularity for the dessert.
If you haven't tried Italy's famous dessert, you might not understand the hype surrounding it. It has approximately half the amount of butterfat as typical ice cream, and also less sugar. The sugar is precisely measured to ensure a balance with the mixture's water content. This creates a kind of antifreeze, preventing the final product from freezing completely.
Typically, the mixture is blended and then heated. Depending on what the base of the mixture is (egg yolk, for example), the temperature will vary. Afterwards, the mixture must age for a few hours. The process of heating the mixture and then letting it sit pasteurizes it and then allows the particles of the mixture to bond in such a way that the finished product will be finer and smoother than typical ice cream.
What sets gelato machines apart from other ice cream makers is the way they freeze their product quickly, and in small amounts. Even large shops, it is only made in small batches. Machines blend air into the mixture as they freeze it, but there is much less air in their product than in other ice creams. This makes it denser, and gives it a more intense flavor.
When the machine has done its work, the finished product should be eaten soon to ensure maximum flavor (a downside of the lower fat content is that the flavor doesn't last as long). While it may be tempting to save some for later, rest assured that with a gelato machine, you can make more whenever you want.
This tempting treat could only be created after centuries of work to perfect recipes passed down from the times of ancient Rome and Egypt. The original recipes were for frozen desserts created with ice brought down from mountains. These recipes eventually evolved into the treat enjoyed today, which was first served in Catherine de Medici's royal court in 1565. In the late seventeenth century, a machine was created to make the preparation process easier for chefs. Technological advances continued until portable machines were made possible in the 1920's and 1930's. With this new accessibility came new popularity for the dessert.
If you haven't tried Italy's famous dessert, you might not understand the hype surrounding it. It has approximately half the amount of butterfat as typical ice cream, and also less sugar. The sugar is precisely measured to ensure a balance with the mixture's water content. This creates a kind of antifreeze, preventing the final product from freezing completely.
Typically, the mixture is blended and then heated. Depending on what the base of the mixture is (egg yolk, for example), the temperature will vary. Afterwards, the mixture must age for a few hours. The process of heating the mixture and then letting it sit pasteurizes it and then allows the particles of the mixture to bond in such a way that the finished product will be finer and smoother than typical ice cream.
What sets gelato machines apart from other ice cream makers is the way they freeze their product quickly, and in small amounts. Even large shops, it is only made in small batches. Machines blend air into the mixture as they freeze it, but there is much less air in their product than in other ice creams. This makes it denser, and gives it a more intense flavor.
When the machine has done its work, the finished product should be eaten soon to ensure maximum flavor (a downside of the lower fat content is that the flavor doesn't last as long). While it may be tempting to save some for later, rest assured that with a gelato machine, you can make more whenever you want.
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