Authentic Gelato

Tasty authentic gelato is more than just ‘Italian ice Cream’

It may be called ‘Italian ice cream, but gelato (authentic gelato) is made with less air. It is denser and has a more intense fruit flavor (when fresh fruit is used). Did you know there are also no regulations for making Italian gelato; however, there are regulations on ice cream? In the U.S., this may make it difficult to find a gelato company (which produces high quality, authentic gelato).

Like ice cream, the amount of butterfat added to gelato can vary from each individual gelato company. Did you know that Italy is the only country that requires gelato makers to use a minimum of 3.5 percent butterfat in their Italian gelato? This is only a minimum and many Italian gelato makers add almost as much butterfat as is needed to make ice cream.

Do not say ‘Italian ice cream’ to the Italians, because Italian gelato is not ‘Italian ice cream.’ It’s Italian gelato, which is not the same as ice cream. In Italy, gelato making is serious business and a street vendor selling the cool dessert outnumbers a commercial gelato company selling the frosty treat, 5,000 to 500.

How does any gelato company make authentic gelato?

Do you use a hot or a cold process to make great tasting gelato? Gone are the days when Italian gelato makers used the old-fashioned method to make gelato from milk, eggs, and sugar. They also were limited to four or five traditional, authentic gelato flavors. These days a gelato company may use what is called a “hot process” to make gelato. A pasteurizer is used to heat gelato ingredients up to 85 degrees Celsius for five seconds. Then, the temperature is dropped to 5 Celsius. Controlling the process allows the emulsifiers and stabilizers to work properly and this safely makes the mixture safe to eat.

However, gelato makers may also use a cold process. This process started in the 1980s as a way to make Italian gelato making easier. Many gelato makers use this process to make authentic gelato flavors. In this process, raw ingredients are mixed with a product base and flavor, and placed directly into a batch freezer. There is no need for a pasteurizer, because ingredients are already microbiologically safe.

The newest method of making this “Italian ice cream” is called the sprint process. Hot milk is added to a bag or mixture that already includes the gelato flavors, stabilizers, and pasteurizers. Then, this dessert is poured directly into a freezer. While this produces the most consistent texture, it leaves little room to experiment with flavors. The last met method may be popular with a number of gelato shop owners who serve “Italian ice cream.” This is why there may be an increase among gelato shop owners, whose gelato company, to use this process. It may also be the fastest way to produce quality gelato; hence, this process is called the sprint method.

Italian Gelato Recipe

Are you looking for a good gelato? Did you know Italy is the one country in the world where homemade gelato served by street vendors outnumbers commercial vendors? While many Americans may not be able to travel to Italy, there is a next best thing – intense flavored gelato made in small batches and served from a refrigerated cooler. If you are too timid to try making your own gelato, where can you find good gelato?

The trick to finding good gelato at a commercial gelato shop or otherwise, is to know what constitutes bold, rich tasting gelato. Does the gelato maker use the richest flavors for their gelato and fresh fruits? Because gelato is softer than regular ice cream, this is important. Gelato can melt faster. It’s richer than ice cream (ice cream is made with up to 50 percent more air), thus is fitting for customers whohave time to enjoy gelato unhurried.

“Italian ice cream” made of different recipe than ice cream traditionally

Both ice cream and gelato use milk, sugar, and eggs. This may be where the similarities end for the two. Ice cream is unlike the traditional gelato made from an Italian gelato recipe. Besides the fact ice cream contains more air than the traditional Italian gelato recipe, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also regulates it. There is no standard set forth for commercially based gelato makers or an Italian gelato recipe. However, some gelato makers have gone so far as to have their product certified internationally.

Homemade gelatos may add more water than some commercially based dessert makers. They also may use powered milk and regular milk to make their product bases. While gelato must have at least 3.5 percent butterfat in Italy (by statue), there is no upper limit to the butterfat or sugar used in any Italian gelato recipe in the United States. Gelato and premium ice cream have roughly 12 to 16 percent of butterfat. Depending on its maker, it can have as much sugar as a traditional ice cream flavor. In some cases, milk-based Italian gelato recipes made in the US may contain as much as 24 percent sugar. This exceeds the limits Italy places on its Italian gelato recipe, with a minimum of 3.5 percent butterfat. Depending on the maker, you may be able to find gelato that is both intense in flavor and not overly sweet.