Tag: ice cream

Home made vanilla ice cream

Ice cream is a frozen dessert that is made from the dairy products like milk and cream and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavors.Most of these ice creams contain sugar and few uses some other sweeteners.While few of them uses artificial colors and flavors in addition to the natural ingredients.These mixture of ingredients are stirred slowly in order to incorporate air and to prevent formation of large ice crystals.The obtained product in semi solid state and is served as scoops.

So yummy and delicious Ice cream

History:

Ice creams origin took place almost far back in second century BC., Although we dont know the specific date of discovery and by whom but we know that the great Alexander enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar.Biblical references also show that King Solomon was fond of iced drinks during harvesting.Also we know that during the Roman Empire, Nero Claudius Caesar frequently used to sent runners into the mountains for the snow and is flavored with fruits and nuts.The historians say that the recipe evolved during 16th century.England have discovered ice cream even earlier than the Italians.

Ingredients:

1) Take one cup of whole milk

2) Take about 3/4th cup of sugar

3) Take one vanilla bean and it is split lengthwise

4) Take two cups of heavy cream

5) Take five large egg yolks

6) Take one teaspoon pure vanilla extract

7) Take a pinch of salt

Ingredients that are required for making vanilla ice cream

Preparation:

There is a delightful taste for the home made vanilla ice cream.This can be served alone or even along with the fruit salad which is even tastier.This vanilla ice cream can be prepared by using a ice cream maker or even with out using it. All you need is the best quality ingredients you can find and a little patience.Once you have prepared this at home you will never eat ice cream that is brought from out.When ever the climate is hot ,there is nothing better than a frosty scoop of home made ice cream that is pulled right from your freezer.

Step 1:

At first take a medium sauce pan and heat up the milk, sugar and salt in it.By using a knife scrape the seeds from vanilla bean carefully.Add the seeds that are scraped to the milk.After that the flamed is turned off and the sauce pan is covered by using a lid and leave it undisturbed for at least one hour.The next thing we have to do is to keep the heavy ice bath chilled.Take a large bowl and fill it with chilled water and ice cubes and let the heavy cream sit in the ice bowl until it is cooled.Take a bowl and whisk egg yolk until it is combined.Now again heat the vanilla mixed milk.After it is heated mix it with the egg yolk little amounts and stir it continuously.After they are mixed take the mixture into a saucepan and heat it on a low flame. Place the saucepan on a low heat and stir the custard constantly.When the custard forms a light coat on the back of the spoon or spatula, it is ready. Strain the custard into the heavy cream, and then stir in the vanilla extract.Now take the mixture in a container and refrigerate it overnight.

Heating the ingredients milk sugar and salt in a saucepan

Step 2:

Take out the ice cream mixture from the refrigerator and stir it continuously with a rubber spatula.Now transfer the mixture into a bowl and cover it with a plastic cover and make it air tight and place it back in a refrigerator.

Take out ice cream mixture from freezer and stir using rubber spatula

Step 3:

After forty five minutes take it out when the edges of the mixture started to freeze.At this stage take it out and mix it with a handheld mixer.After stirring well keep back in freezer for two to three hours and stirring should be done for every 30 minutes for soft taste.Stirring continuously is important when we are not using a ice cream maker.

Take out ice cream mixture from freezer and stir using rubber spatula until the freezed edges are softened

Step 4:

After the two hours is completed take it out from refrigerator and beat the mixture again with a hand mixer.The mixture should be thick but still too soft to scoop which is prominent for making an ice cream with good taste.If the ice cream is not so thick return it back to the freeze and leave it to freeze for some more time.If the ice cream has become thick then at this stage we can add some ingredients like chocolate chips, cookies, dry fruits to it.

Take this type of container and fill the ice cream in it

Step 5:

This is the final step and here we can take the mixture into plastic container and close by using a plastic wrap and keep it in a refrigerator.Make sure that we have left some gap while filling the ice cream in the plastic container.That’s it yummy delicious vanilla ice cream is ready.

June 24, 2014
Unveiling The World Of Food Fraud

Everybody knows that homemade food is best for our health. But if we step out of this illusion, then, we will find that even homemade food can be potentially harmful to us. This is not because of the cooking, it is because of the ingredients used in cooking. Those ingredients, even if are present as less as 1 tablespoon in our food, can turn the food into a poison. Adulteration has taken away the joy of eating. Today, we are exposed to harmful chemicals in almost everything that is not grown at home.

Food fraud is a term that encompasses deliberate substitution, addition, tampering or misrepresentation of food, food ingredients or packaging. Adulterants are used to save money and to contaminate the food and the responsibility of safeguarding ourselves falls solely on us.

From loose packed ground spices to wet produce like milk, everything has a potential of being adulterated these days, even if purchased from a reputable grocery retailer. Even the official systems set for food safety and prevention are constantly outdone by hidden and booming food adulteration business.

But obviously, turning a blind eye to food adulterants is no solution, we have to plan and avoid the adulteration. Here is a list of commonly adulterated food stuff, so that next time when you buy them, you can be extra cautious.

Turmeric:

The common adulterants in turmeric these days are a chemical known as metanil yellow and kesari dal, to enhance the yellow color of turmeric. The chemical is highly carcinogenic if consumed for a longer period of time and can also cause stomach disorders.

Green chilies :

Malachite green, a green colored dye that is often present in green chilies, has proven to be carcinogenic for humans, if consumed for a long period.

Milk:

Milk is a at the top of the food fraud list. Earlier it is used to be combined with water to increase the volume and decrease the nutritional value. Nowadays, even the water it is combined with, is contaminated. We also have higher levels of adulteration like starch, caustic soda, sugar, urea and lime, to give milk a thick texture. This can cause grave stomach disorders.

Ice cream:

Ice creams are adulterated with fatty substances when it is in the cold chamber, like pepperoni, ethyl acetate and washing powder. These substances are never mentioned on the packet of the ice cream; and are added to give beautiful white sheen and lightness of flavor to the ice cream, but instead cause stomach and liver disorders.

Coffee:

Do you know that your morning cup of coffee is not just coffee, it is a huge bag of sawdust, tamarind seeds and chicory powder and these ingredients cause more harm to us than the caffeine provided by coffee. They are added to provide bulk and color, and can cause diarrhea, stomach disorders, giddiness and severe joint pains.

Seafood:

The mercury content in sea food is something that is not hidden from the world. And we humans accumulate this carcinogenic mercury, not only by eating the seafood, but also by eating the birds which eat these fishes. Eating many such birds and fishes can cause cancer in our bodies.

Flour:

Rice and wheat are India’s staple food, and these are adulterated with starch to thicken them and leaves the consumer in the illusion that our diet is perfect. This, in reality costs us our life. Therefore, the process should be very carefully executed from cleaning of grains to grinding it.

Saffron:

Given that it is the most expensive spice in the world, there’s no doubt it is a victim to adulteration. Sandalwood, dust, starch, yellow dye and gelatin are common adulterants in starch. The easiest way to detect adulteration in starch is to avoid deep red color ones and cheap ones while buying.

Honey:

The purest form of honey are nowadays only found when winnie the pooh sticks his hand in the honeycomb to lick out the honey. In markets, honey is adulterated with minerals, antibiotics that are not meant for human consumption, corn syrup etc. Moreover, the ultra filtration process done on honey bottles makes the adulterants undetectable.

Olive oil:

It is said that olive oil is one of the best fat-free oil for human consumption. Well, the truth is that when it is adulterated with cheaper cracked oil, deodorants, corn oil, hazelnut oil and palm oil, it deteriorates the health instead of improving. Sometimes, it is laced with mineral oil, which makes the matters even worse.

So, next time when you buy this stuff, make sure it doesn’t have something that will land you in hospital. Take care that your food is authentic and there are minimal chances of you falling prey to the locus of adulterants; as your health is much more important in your life than anything else, and it is solely your responsibility to take care of it. So gear up, and say no to adulteration of food!

June 3, 2014