Frozen custard
Frozen custard is a cold dessert similar to ice cream, made with eggs in addition to cream and sugar.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration requires products marketed as frozen custard to contain at least 10 percent milkfat and 1.4 percent egg yolk solids. If it has fewer egg yolk solids, it is considered ice cream.[1] In the United Kingdom, frozen custard is not differentiated from other frozen desserts. Instead, if given a name other than frozen desserts they may be referred to as ice creams.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Custard Capital
Similar to the longstanding competition between Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks, leading to the declaration of South Philly as the unofficial cheesesteak capital of the world, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is similarly considered the "Custard Capital of the World" with the equally long-standing competition between Kopp's (pronounced 'Cops'), and Gilles (pronounced Gill-Ease).[3]
True frozen custard is a very dense dessert. Soft serve ice creams may have an overrun as large as 100%, meaning half of the final product is composed of air. Frozen custard, when made in a proper continuous freezer will have an overrun of 15-30% depending on the machine manufacturer. Air is not pumped into the mix, nor is it added as an "ingredient" but gets into the frozen state by the agitation of liquid similar to whisking a meringue. The high percentage of butterfat and egg yolk gives frozen custard a thick, creamy texture and a smoother consistency than ice cream. Frozen custard can be served at –8°C (18°F), warmer than the –12°C (10°F) at which ice cream is served, in order to make a soft serve product.
Another difference between commercially produced frozen custard and commercial ice cream is the way the custard is frozen. The mix enters a refrigerated tube and, as it freezes, blades scrape the product cream off the barrel walls. The now frozen custard is discharged directly into containers from which it can be served. The speed with which the product leaves the barrel minimizes the amount of air in the product but more importantly ensures that the ice crystals formed are very small.
Frozen custard is usually prepared fresh at the place of sale, rather than stored; however, it is occasionally available in supermarkets or by mail order. Generally, modern frozen custard stands provide up to three different flavors per day: vanilla, chocolate, and a unique "flavor of the day." The older vintage custard stands tend to have a dozen or so standard flavors.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "FDA Frozen Desserts 21 CFR 135.110(a)(2)". FDA. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2003/aprqtr/21cfr135.110.htm. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ Liddell, Caroline (1996). Frozen Desserts. St. Martin's Griffin.
- ^ Although the title of "Custard Capital of the World" is an informal one, agreement is nearly unanimous across the internet that Milwaukee reigns supreme. For example, see the following James Beard Foundation article, written by Anna Mowry, which bestows the title and concedes that most frozen custard stands outside of the Wisconsin were in fact started by former Wisconsin residents, such as Euclid Beach Frozen Custard east of Cleveland. Moreover, the leading market segment producer of commercial frozen custard machines, Stoelting®, LLC, is located in Keil, Wisconsin, although Ross Manufacturing was originally located in Escanaba, Michigan before being sold to a third party and then onto Stoelting in 2006.
[edit] External links
- Andy's Frozen Custard in the Midwest
- FDA Standards for Frozen Desserts
- Happy Days, Coney Island's former specialty takes hold in the Midwest
- Ritter's Frozen Custard
- Culver's Frozen Custard
- Euclid Beach Frozen Custard
- Lloyd's of Pennsylvania
- Goodberry's of the Raleigh-Durham region of North Carolina
- Goodberry's of Australia
- Theron's Frozen Custard, Redlands CA.
- Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard. St. Louis MO.
- Abbott's Frozen Custard. Rochester NY.
