“My Italian Water Ice I made yesterday is hard as a rock. It’s impossible to scoop.”
Over the years, I keep hearing the same question. Fear no more, here’s the answer — a cold water activated stabilizer. So, what the heck is a stabilizer? Do I really need to use one? How are they used? Italian water ice and sorbets have long been enjoyed as seasonal fun-foods. Because they yield a greater cooling effect than ice cream, they are ideal warm weather treats. For a water ice to be enjoyed by the consumer, the product usually will need help. That help comes from the use of a stabilizer.
Stabilizers provide creamy meltdown and smooth texture while also preventing the ice crystallization and coarseness associated with heat shock (common language – why are they so hard to scoop). They make scooping easier, and they extend shelf life. Most stabilizers for water ice or sorbet production are made up of:
- Guar Gum: Retards ice crystal growth nonspecifically by slowing mass transfer across the solid/liquid interface. It shows good stability during freeze-thaw cycles.
- Exanthan Gum: Helps create the pleasant creamy texture in ices.
All the recipes in our books and newsletter use the stabilizer 9100 from Main Street Ingredients – a cold water stabilizer that is simple to use. It’s used at the rate of .20-.30% by weight. If your finished product seems too soft or stringy, you used too much, so be careful, less is better than more.
Usage level is 8 grams for a 2½-gallon batch and 12-16 grams for a 5- gallon batch. Simply mix the stabilizer with dry sugar and add to liquid ingredient(s) with good agitation. Allow a few minutes for the stabilizer to hydrate before freezing.
SAMPLE SORBET & ITALIAN WATER ICE RECIPE
2 ½ GALLON BASIC WATER ICE RECIPE
Ingredients:
3 1/2 Gallons Water
6 pounds Sugar
3 pounds 36 DE corn
8 grams Stabilizer- 9100 (.02%-.03% by weight)
2-4 ounces Fruit extract flavoring-(amount used depends on the manufacturer’s recommended usage level)
Batch Time: 15-18 minutes
2 ½ GALLON BASIC SORBET RECIPE
Ingredients:
3 1/2 Gallons Water
6 pounds Sugar
3 pounds 36 DE corn
8 grams Stabilizer- 9100 (.02%-.03% by weight)
12 pounds-30% or 16 pounds 40% Fresh or frozen fruit
Preparation:
Mix together all dry sweetener ingredients- sugar, 36DE corn, and stabilizer “thoroughly.” Add 1 1/2 gallons hot water to above mixture, blend thoroughly. Pour this mixture and the rest of the ingredients into the batch freezer. Turn on the dasher for 2 minutes to stir the mixtures together. Set timer for 15 minutes. Turn on refrigeration and begin batch. As mixture firms up and looks wavy, turn off refrigeration and extrude finished product.
Ice Cream University has stabilizers from Main Street available on our online shop. If you have any questions, please contact malcolm@icecreamuniversity.org.
