Effects of milk fat and homogenization on the texture of ice cream

In this study, ice creams were made with two levels of milk fat (11 or 16%) and two levels of homogenization (single or double), 11% milk solids-not-fat (MSNF), 13% sucrose, 3% corn syrup solids, and 0.35% stabilizer-emulsifier blend. Treatments 1 and 2 (T1 and T2) contained 11% milk fat, T3 and T4 contained 16% milk fat. Mixes were pasteurized at 71 degrees C for 30 min and single homogenized treatments 1 and 3 at 60 degrees C with 13.8 MPa pressure on the first stage and 3.5 MPa pressure on the second. Treatments 2 and 4 were double homogenized at 13.8 and 3.5 MPa. Mixes were aged overnight at 3 degrees C, frozen with a soft serve freezer, and hardened at -25 to -27 degrees C. Milk fat level influenced ice cream mix total solids, flowtime, freezing point, and draw temperature. Even though the lower (11%) milk fat ice cream had smaller ice crystal size compared to that with 16% milk fat the trained sensory panel perceived the high fat ice cream to have a more desirable texture. Double homogenization reduced ice crystal size.