Sugars

While there are many kinds of sugars, only those that are used for frozen desserts will be explained here. Sugar-free sweeteners are not covered. The first and most obvious role of sugars is to sweeten. Consumers expect sweetness in frozen desserts, unless it is otherwise specified on the menu. The second role, which is just as important, is to lower the freezing point of liquids to –10°C / 14°F, which is the ideal serving temperature for frozen desserts. This creates a product that doesn’t freeze too hard, which would render it difficult to scoop, and difficult and unpleasant to eat. The sugar keeps a certain amount of water unfrozen (about 28 percent) by retaining it, which keeps large ice crystals from forming or binding to each other. The sugar sits between the ice crystals, holding them together but keeping them from touching each other so they won’t fuse into a larger ice crystal. The remainder is a concentrated sugar solution. It is because of this and the air that has been incorporated that ice cream, gelato, sherbet, and sorbet can be scooped and made palatable. Sugars account for 12 to 16 percent of the final weight of an ice cream base, and 25 to 30 percent of a sorbet base.