Making ice cream you can store in the freezer?

[raweater]

Each time I tried to store ice cream in the freezer it came out as a solid block of ice. Is there a way to make storable ice cream?

I'm used to making it fresh each time but it would be great if I could store it in the freezer.

Thanks

[Rawkinlocs]

Assuming that you are making the banana ice cream, the following may be of help to you...

(a previous post of mine)
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I think my ice cream is very good and my kids LOVE it...I make vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. For me, the key is to use a food processor and also, to add some "creme" to the frozen banana ice cream to make it really creamy and scoopable.

I have a recipe on my site: (Note: I use bananas AND cashew creme because to me, it balances out perfectly. With bananas only, it can be "too banana-y" and not really creamy nor scoopable enough. With the cashew-only base, it's too, "cashewy" and almost too rich. But having the combination of the two is a perfect combination, IMHO and to date, I have had great success with freezing the remaining ice cream in a container and being able to scoop it out!)

Vanana-Banilla Ice Cream
by Cherie King

A creamy, rich and delicious dairy-free confection! You' WON'T miss the bad stuff with this!

3-5 really ripe bananas that have been peeled and frozen solid
dash or two of sea salt
1/2 - 1 tsp. vanilla
1/8-1/4 c. cashew creme (recipe immediately below this recipe)

Blend all ingredients in food processor. Blend until the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Serve immediately.

Variations:
-Top with raw chocolate sauce, nuts and berries for a delicious, raw and living ice cream sundae (as pictured on my site)
-Add nuts of choice into the ice cream and pulse chop
-Add strawberries into the ice cream for strawberry ice cream or any other fruit of choice
-Add raw cacao powder or raw carob powder into the ice cream for a "chocolate" ice cream.

Cashew Creme
Blend 1/2-1 c cashews with 1-2 c water (in other words, 1 part cashews to 2 parts water) until smooth. If you do not own a high-powered blender such as the Vitamix, soak the cashews for a couple of hours or so first, drain and then blend with water. After adding what is needed to your ice cream recipe, any left-overs can be frozen in an ice cube tray and then the frozen cubes of creme can be blended with the frozen bananas in the ice cream recipe.
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A few more tips:

- Try not to OVER-process the ice cream if at all possible. The fluffier it is going into the freezer, the better the odds of it not getting all frozen solid on ya.

- If you DO end up over-processing it to where it's more like a smoothie in consistency than ice cream, pour into an ice cube tray instead of a container and once completely frozen, plop the cubes out into the processor and process to ice cream consistency and then store what you don't eat in a container and it should end up soft enough to scoop out.

Sometimes it may get hardened but no harder than "regular" ice cream that you may need to allow to sit for a few minutes or use a spoon/scoop that you warm by running hot water on it. But most times my ice cream turns out so that it's very easily scooped out!

If you try it, please let me know how it works out for you!

Below is a photo of some strawberry ice cream I made that was scooped out from my batch in the freezer...

[tanishamarshall]

That looks Yummy..

[raweater]

Sorry, I wasn't aware of that banana ice cream recipe. I was not referring to that type of ice cream, I make mine with an ice cream maker by first making a nut based cream (either cashew, macadamia or cococnut milk) and then adding the flavorings I want (vanilla beans, cacao, fruits, etc.) and I normally add coconut oil to make it creamier and blend all ingredients, then pour the cream mixture into the ice cream maker.

Thanks

[baltochef]

raweater

Duplicating the EXACT texture of commercial SAD ice creams is not possible..Using completely raw ingredients, it is possible to come close; but will require a lot of work.

Four things allow modern SAD ice creams to be scooped when they are frozen to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (average freezer temperature of a modern freezer).

First, cooking the ingredients to allow the sugars to break their crystalline bonds & re-form attached to the fats in the mixture..Cooking the fats with the sugars & other flavoring ingredients allows them to become one homogeneous mixture..Homogenization is a KEY in allowing the ice cream to be scooped when frozen hard..Cooking the ingredients also reduces the water content of the mixture..We all know what happens to water when it freezes..Lower water content in an ice cream makes for a less crystalline structure, therefore a softer frozen product.

Second, modern SAD ice creams have a VERY high fat content..The higher the fat content, within reason, the richer & more flavorful the ice cream will taste..Also, the more expensive it will cost..The fat content of a truly rich SAD ice cream will generally be between 40-50%..The higher fat content allows for a greater number of fat molecules for the sugars to attach themselves to..Sugars have a very well defined crystalline structure that only becomes more defined as they become colder..Spreading the sugars out as much as possible within the matrix of the liquid ice cream mixture allows for a weaker bond to develop as the mixture gets colder..A weaker bond equals easier to scoop ice cream.

Third, is aeration..Whipping air into the mixture will physically separate the ice creams' molecules, also allowing for weaker bonds to develop..Eggs are usually a component in the custard that forms the basis for most ice creams..Some times the egg whites will be separated from the yolks..They will then be whipped into a soft meringue that will then be folded into the mixture, thus lightening it.

Fourth, chemical additives..There are hundreds of chemicals that can & are added to ice creams to weaken the crystalline structure of the frozen mix..These chemicals are extremely necessary to foods, especially ice creams, being soft at normal freezer temperatures.

So, what things can a raw foodist do to create as closely as possible the taste & texture (read softness) of SAD ice creams.

First, heat the ingredients up to as high a temperature as your raw sensibilities will allow..110-120 degrees Fahrenheit is considered to be the maximum allowable temperatures for raw foodists..You will have to decide where within this range you feel comfortable..Know this however, even at 120 degrees Fahrenheit, it is NOT possible to achieve the same homogeneous mixture that can be achieved with the higher temperatures that SAD ice cream manufacturers use.

Also realize that very few raw foodists will be using refined organic cane sugar in their raw ice cream creations..First, because 99.999% of the organic cane sugar on the market is not raw..Second, because the very, very small amount of organic cane sugar that is truly raw, according to the strict standards of the raw community, is so expensive as to not make it a very viable alternative to the liquid sweeteners that we raw foodists use daily as a matter of course.

And here is the real kicker in trying to duplicate SAD ice cream in a raw version..All of the liquid sweeteners, honey, maple syrup, agave, brown rice syrup, etc., have water as a large component of their total volume..And water freezes HARD at 10 degrees Fahrenheit..Crystalline cane sugar has had most of the water in it removed..Using liquid sweeteners instead of crystallized cane sugar puts the raw ice cream maker at a deficit right from the get-go.

Second,make the fat content of the ice cream as high as you are comfortable with..The higher, the better, as far as the eventual softness is concerned.

Third,take the heated mixture & whip air into the mixture with a mixer or blender, taking care not to exceed the maximum temperature that you have set for yourself..Experimentation will be the key factor here, as too much air will make for a crumbly ice cream.

Fourth,always use a refrigerated ice cream maker to make your ice creams.

Fifth,raise the temperature of the freezer that the ice cream is going to be stored in..If the ice cream is stored at 20-25 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be MUCH easier to scoop.

Sixth,realize that even doing all these things WILL NOT allow a raw foodist to achieve the exact same creamy softness in a frozen raw ice cream that a SAD ice cream has.

My personal opinion on the whole issue of raw ice creams (and similar frozen raw concoctions) has been to eliminate them from my diet altogether, except for special occasions where I am feeding guests.

My reasons for feeling this way are as follows:

Making a SAD ice cream in the traditional way is a time & labor intensive process..Trying to duplicate a SAD ice cream using raw ingredients, tools, & procedures is even more so..And in doing so the raw foodist can ONLY achieve an approximation of the original SAD ice cream.

The procedures that Rawkinlocs & I have outlined WILL get the raw foodist close to a SAD ice cream in texture & frozen softness.

However, I must take issue with several of the things that she suggests doing in her above post.

Putting 1" x 1" x 1" ice cube-sized pieces of frozen food into ANY blender, regardless of its cost, without the frozen cubes being immersed in in a liquid of some kind, puts an incredible strain on the motor..Blenders ARE NOT designed to crush ice without any liquid being present..Will they do so??..Yes, but at the risk of almost certain blender failure..Water, frozen into ice has a crystalline structure that fractures relatively easily..Replace the majority of the water in a standard-size ice cube with pureed food solids, & the force required to fracture the food-laden cube rises exponentially.

Raw foodists should not under ANY circumstances put frozen foods larger than a blueberry or cranberry into a food processor..If doing so, DO NOT fill the bowl any further then to cover the upper blade..To do so is to risk almost certain, immediate food processor failure..Neither consumer nor commercial food processors are designed to chop frozen foods..Even blueberry-sized frozen foods will dull & nick the blade badly..Would you use your expensive chef's knife, steel or ceramic, to repeatedly chop at frozen chunks of food??..As hard as you could swing it??..Because, that's exactly what's happening to the edge of a food processor's blade when it's used to chop frozen foods..Putting ice cube-sized frozen foods into a food processor is a recipe for disaster..Frozen chunks of bananas are just as damaging..I have seen the motors on commercial Robot Coupe food processors ruined by repeatedly chopping frozen foods over a several day period..These food processors have electric motors that are light years more powerful & durable the the motors in a Cuisinart.

The procedures that I have adopted when creating raw frozen ice creams for guests are these.

I heat the ingredients to just below 115 degrees Fahrenheit on top of the stove..After the mixture reaches 115 degrees in the saucepan, I transfer it to a glass bowl.

I place the glass bowl into my empty Excalibur dehydrator, set at 115 degrees Fahrenheit, with the bowl sitting on a S.S. cooling rack..I leave it in the dehydrator for at least 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes in order to mix & homogenize the ingredients as completely as possible.

I remove the ingredients from the dehydrator, transfer them into the bowl of a stand mixer..My mixer has a whip attachment..I whip air into the mixture just until SMALL air bubbles start to form.

I then transfer the ingredients into an electric ice cream maker, & follow the instructions.

I attempt to time all this so that at the end of our meal, my guests will have a frozen dessert that is as soft to eat as are standard SAD ice creams.

I do one of two things with whatever is left over from the meal.

First, I pour the left over ice cream into popsicle molds..Then, it will not matter how hard the mixture ultimately freezes.

Second, I freeze it into single portions, & accept the fact that in order to enjoy the left over ice cream I'm going to have to time things so that it softens up somewhat at room temperature before consumption.

Raw foodists should accept that there are going to be certain foods that cannot be exactly duplicated by raw means..That we will need to expend enormous amounts of time, & or put our equipment at risk in order to do so..And that in constantly trying to do so we may be defeating the purpose of attempting to eat raw.

I firmly believe that there is a place in the raw community for constructed raw foods..That most people will need such foods in order to transition from SAD to raw.

However, I have come to the firmly held belief that trying to imitate certain SAD foods is misguided, at best..As a chef, I can admire the ingenuity required to develop a recipe for raw chicken nuggets, hamburgers, etc..As a raw foodist, I question the validity of doing so..To expend the energy necessary in order to create recipes that mimic the look & texture of a SAD animal-based food; and to then publish & expouse such recipes on vegan forums does not seem to me to follow in the spirit of the raw vegan philosophy.

I ask the following three questions in all sincerity.

Do we violate the spirit of raw by creating & eating raw versions of animal-based foods, such as chicken nuggets?.

Are we doing ourselves, the raw community, a disservice by doing so?.

Is the fat content of these recipes, truly appropiate for a raw diet??.

Bruce

[Rawkinlocs]

Have you read Alissa's book?

There is a reason for these recipes...firstly, if a vegan chooses to be a vegan or at the very least, eat a vegan diet, the reasons and convictions vary. For some, it is all about ethics and unfair treatment of animals...for others, it's purely for health reasons.

But whatever the reason, if there is NO animal involved, then what's the problem? It's all in the person's perception and not everyone is at the level of "Well, if I'm not going to eat meat then I am not going to try and eat a mock version either." You also need to realize that not every raw fooder is vegan...some are vegetarian and some eat raw animal products.

But Alissa's book and dvd and this forum are all based upon trying to reach the MASSES and not necessarily staying within the confines of "the raw movement"...so if this is the case, then it's clear that most people who are coming straight from a SAD to a raw diet will need some transitional, comfort-type foods they can relate to. But even those who are not in the "transitional stage"...the variety is there for them if they so choose it...if not, then they definitely don't have to eat these recipes and can stick to a more simpler, pure raw food diet. It's all about choice and we all have the freedom to eat whatever we want and that's what's so great about this whole thing! Those who prefer to not eat RAW meat analogues can avoid them just as cooked-eating vegans perhaps choose not to indulge in the soy-based meat analogues...it's all about one's prerogative and there are not "have-to's" or "should and shouldn'ts".

Also, while I do agree that not everything cooked can or should be duplicated in a raw version, I have to beg to differ with you in the ice cream thing. You haven't tasted my version (which is very simple to make and not as many steps involved)...everyone who has tasted it the way I make it agree that it does, indeed, taste like "real" ice cream! :)

And mine is scoopable out of the freezer! ;)

[deberaw]

....and I'm going to stick with frozen banana in my Champion!!!

Actually, the other day I blended fresh almond milk, vanilla and agave and froze this in a rectangle pan. Then I defrosted it enought to slice in sort of strips and put these thru the Champ. My kids loved it, and me too! It was like soft serve sorbet/ice-cream! Delish and refreshing! :p

[raweater]

baltochef: Thanks for the detailed response, that's almost a book you wrote there! I have a few questions:

"Fourth,always use a refrigerated ice cream maker to make your ice creams."

Do you mean one with a bowl you "recharge" in the freezer, or those with an actual freezer built into the machine (the $400+ models?).

"Making a SAD ice cream in the traditional way is a time & labor intensive process..Trying to duplicate a SAD ice cream using raw ingredients, tools, & procedures is even more so..And in doing so the raw foodist can ONLY achieve an approximation of the original SAD ice cream."

I always make my raw ice creams in about 5 minutes (excluding the 15 minute or so freezing time in the ice cream maker), ice cream is about the fastest raw recipe I can make except smoothies (ice cream is almost a smoothie with different ingredients ran through my ice cream machine). Also, when my ice cream comes out of my ice cream machine it's almost always exactly like SAD ice cream, my problem is if I store it in the freezer, but if I eat it right away it's just like the SAD stuff, but tastes far better (all my friends agree, it is the best ice cream on this planet, SAD is junk next to what I make).

"Putting 1" x 1" x 1" ice cube-sized pieces of frozen food into ANY blender, regardless of its cost, without the frozen cubes being immersed in in a liquid of some kind, puts an incredible strain on the motor..Blenders ARE NOT designed to crush ice without any liquid being present.."

My blender specifically recommends to crush ice with no liquids at all, but I must say it's a blender by Breville with exclusive technologies both in the blade itself and it has a computer controlled motor with advanced sensors constantly monitoring the resistance on the blades, it also has special auto pulsing modes to crush ice without liquid, it uses the sensor to keep the minimum necessary power on the blades to turn ice into snow (it gives one tiny pulse but at full power, then waits for the sensors to detect the blades stopepd and will then give another tiny pulse at full power and so on), this may be why, I like it better than a VitaMix.

[raweater]

By the way, on the subject of making vegan chicken nuggets, what if things had turned out differently, say the vegan diet was the norm... Let's say raw sunflower seed nuggets where sold in every mc donald on earth. Then some meat eaters would decide to make a chicken version of the raw sunflower nuggets.

So you see, it's really just a question of perspective. I don't see why making vegan nuggets should be considered imitating chicken nuggets, they could simply be somethign else altogheter rather than make them look like they're imitating something else.

What if the first ice creams had been nut based? Then people may be saying "We shouldn't be trying to imitate nut based ice creams with dairy, you'll never get the same texture!"