For The Smoothest Homemade Ice Cream Possible, Freeze Time Is Everything

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Homemade ice cream is often considered a prime confection that's well worth the wait. Better yet, there are countless ways to make this creamy, frozen dessert. Whether you're using a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker from Amazon or following one of many alternative ways to make ice cream without a machine, you want your finished product to have an ultra-creamy consistency. For homemade ice cream that has the least amount of ice crystals and the most uniform texture, a shorter freeze time is crucial.

Since ice cream is made by incorporating air into chilled cream in order to create a semi-solid dessert, your number one goal is to minimize the formation of ice. Luckily, there are many small steps you can take to ensure your next batch of ice cream freezes efficiently while maintaining an evenly creamy texture.

For starters, regardless of your preparation method, begin with the right ratio of ingredients. When following specific recipes, do not skimp on fat or sugar since both ingredients work to give your ice cream the smoothest texture. Since fat doesn't freeze, it's great at keeping your mixture creamy and soft. 

Sugar, on the other hand, lowers the freezing point of your ice cream and binds with water molecules to prevent large ice crystals from forming. To further speed up the freezing process, before mixing, make sure your ice cream mixture is extra cold and that your basin, bowls, and utensils have been chilled before using.

To minimize your ice cream's overall freeze time, try and reduce the water content of your ingredients. While fat and sugar are essential, there are a few more ingredients you can use in order to boost the softness of your homemade recipe. Alcohol is another ingredient that doesn't freeze, so adding a small amount of vodka or rum to the mix can help prevent larger ice crystals from forming.

You can also substitute regular milk for condensed milk which is thicker and contains less water. Believe it or not, with the help of this shelf-stable product, you can make a no-fuss coffee ice cream with three simple ingredients. Regardless of your recipe, once you develop the right amount of each ingredient and your base mixture and utensils are nice and cold, you can then make your ice cream.

Since ice crystals in freshly-made ice cream are extra small, it's important that upon mixing that you transfer your ice cream to the freezer as soon as possible. To further reduce the freeze time, store your ice cream in shallow, resealable containers. There's also a good reason why you should start storing your ice cream tub or container in a plastic bag. An added layer of insulation works to keep your ice cream from becoming overly hard and icy. That being said, to better achieve perfectly soft ice cream, make sure the temperature of your freezer is between -5 and 0 degrees Fahrenheit.