Q : What is the difference between gelato and traditional, American Ice Cream?

A: Four principal differences exist – fat content, key ingredients, texture and flavor. Gelato contains less butterfat ( 4 percent to 8 percent ) than American-style ice cream ( 10 percent to 18 percent ). Gelato’s key ingredients are whole milk, sugar (usually confectioner’s sugar), flavorings (especially fresh fruit) and sometimes skimmed milk powder, which adds viscosity and helps stop the build up of ice crystals. Gelato is not as frozen in texture when served-it’s more of a semi-frozen ice cream and is generally best eaten fresh the day its made.

The flavor of gelato is generally agreed to be purer on the palate, especially gelato made with water (sorbetto). Gelato is normally stored in a forced air freezer that prevents the gelato from freezing completely. Try this simple banana gelato.

Banana gelato

Ingredients

Milk, whole 2 lbs 3 ounces ( 1L )

Water 2 lbs 3 ounces ( 1L )

Confectioners’ sugar 14 ounces ( 400g )

Bananas, ripe 2 lbs 3 ounces ( 1kg )

Lemon, fresh juice 2 ounces ( 56ml )

Total appr. wt. 7 lbs 9 ounces ( 3.456kg)

Method : Place the sugar and water in a saucepan, and stir while slowly bringing the mixture to a boil. This ensures the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and cool. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas, and stir in the juice from the lemon. Add the mild and the cooled sugar/water syrup. Transfer into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturers’ instructions.

Enjoy!

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