PROCESS FOR PRODUCING AN ICE-CREAM BASE

Abstract

A process is described for producing an ice-cream base, either an ice-cream or fruit sorbet or a cream ice-cream, comprising the steps of: preparing a mixture comprising at least one main ingredient in an amount included between 40% and 85% and complementary ingredients in an amount completing 100%, such complementary ingredients comprising at least one amount of sugar or of one or more sugar syrups; subjecting such mixture to a flash-pasteurization process to obtain a flash-pasteurized ice-cream base. An ice-cream base produced through such process is further described.

Claims

1. A process for producing an ice-cream base or fruit sorbet, the process comprising the steps of: preparing a mixture comprising at least one main ingredient in an amount included between 40% and 85% and complementary ingredients in an amount completing 100%, the at least one main ingredient being composed of fresh fruits or semi-finished fresh fruits and the amount of the main ingredient composed of fresh fruits being included between 40% and 85%, the complementary ingredients comprising at least one amount of sugar or of one or more sugar syrups; and subjecting the mixture to a flash-pasteurization process to obtain a flash-pasteurized ice-cream base, the step of subjecting the mixture to the flash-pasteurization process further comprising the steps of: pre-heating the mixture up to a temperature included between 90 C. and 110 C. with following thermal flash by heating the mixture up to a temperature included between 120 C. and 140 C. for a time included between 3 s and 6 s; and afterwards heating the mixture with flash cooling with a temperature jump included between 35 C. and 55 C. for a time included between 10 s and 25 s.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the complementary ingredients comprise at least one natural thickener.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the amount of sugar or of one or more sugar syrups is included between 10% and 40%.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the complementary ingredients comprise at least one taste and/or acidity exalting agent.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the complementary ingredients comprise at least one amount of milk and/or albumen.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one main ingredient is composed of at least one taste ingredient, an amount of the main ingredient composed of at least one the taste ingredient being included between 40% and 60%.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the complementary ingredients comprise an amount of milk and/or cream included between 40% and 60% and an amount of eggs.

8. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of packaging the flash-pasteurized ice-cream base in at least one storage container.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the storage container is composed of a vacuum container, sterile and impermeable to light and gas.

10. The process of claim 8, wherein the storage container is an aluminized multi-layer bag or container of the Tetra Pak type or a visible or capsule-type food container.

11. (canceled)

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example.

[0018] The process according to the present invention for producing an ice-cream base, being it an ice-cream or fruit sorbet or a cream ice-cream, advantageously comprises the steps of:

[0019] preparing a mixture comprising at least one main ingredient in an amount included between 40% and 85% and complementary ingredients in an amount completing 100%, where such complementary ingredients comprise at least one amount of sugar or of one or more sugar syrups in varying percentages depending on the taste and the consistency that has to be obtained;

[0020] subjecting such mixture to a flash-pasteurization process to obtain a flash-pasteurized ice-cream base.

[0021] The step of subjecting the mixture to the flash-pasteurization process, aimed in particular to block the enzymatic charge of the mixture itself, preferably comprises the sub-steps of:

[0022] pre-heating the mixture up to a temperature included between 90 C. and 110 C. with following thermal flash of such mixture with heating up to a temperature included between 120 C. and 140 C. for a time included between 3 s and 6 s;

[0023] afterwards heating the mixture with flash cooling with a temperature jump included between 35 C. and 55 C. for a time included between 10 s and 25 s.

[0024] Moreover, such complementary ingredients can comprise at least one natural thickener chosen, for example, among legume flours, maize amid derivatives, sunflower liposomes.

[0025] In particular, if the mixture is used for preparing an ice-cream base or fruit sorbet, at least one main ingredient is advantageously composed of fresh fruits or semi-finished fresh fruits, previously cleaned, peeled, reeled-off and more or less refined (depending on the desired granulometry) and the amount of such main ingredient composed of fresh fruits can be included between 40% and 85% depending on the desired type and consistency.

[0026] Moreover, if the mixture is used for preparing an ice-cream base or fruit sorbet, the amount of sugar or of one or more sugar syrups can be included between 10% and 40%.

[0027] Moreover, if the mixture is used for preparing an ice-cream base or fruit sorbet, such complementary ingredients can comprise at least one taste and/or acidity exalting agent chosen, for example, between ascorbic acid or citric acid.

[0028] Moreover, if the mixture is used for preparing an ice-cream base or fruit sorbet, such complementary ingredients can comprise at least one amount of milk and/or albumen in order to make the mixture more creamy.

[0029] In particular, if the mixture is instead used for preparing a cream-based ice-cream, at least one main ingredient is advantageously composed of at least one taste ingredient among the most various ones: for example, such taste ingredient can be chosen among chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, nougat, meringue, etc. The amount of such main ingredient composed of at least one of such taste ingredients can be included between 40% and 60%. Moreover, if the mixture is used for preparing a cream-based ice-cream, such complementary ingredients comprise at least one amount of milk and/or cream included between 40% and 60% and at least one amount of eggs.

[0030] The base prepared through the process according to the present invention is therefore 100% of the future ice-cream directly obtained only through its creaming, whether it is traditional, continuous or discontinuous, which will produce the desired creaminess with the desired incorporation of air, consequently allowing to remove the classic and indispensable laboratory for producing the bases, present in every artisanal ice-cream shop.

[0031] The process according to the present invention further comprises the step of packaging the flash-pasteurized ice-cream base in at least one storage container.

[0032] In particular, such storage container can be preferably composed of any vacuum container, sterile and impermeable to light and gas which, together with the use of the flash-pasteurizing step for the mixture, allows obtaining a storage period of the base obtained according to the process of the present invention which is longer than 12 months.

[0033] Preferably, therefore, the storage container can be an aluminized multi-layer bag or container of the Tetra Pak type with various sizes or any visible food container.

[0034] As further alternative, the storage container can be composed of a capsule, of a type substantially known in the art, aimed to be used in a delivering device.

[0035] In order to get to the end product through the ice-cream base according to the present invention it will also be enough to use the classic machines of the soft-ice type, with direct distribution of ice-creams to consumers.

[0036] The present invention further deals with an ice-cream base, either an ice-cream or fruit sorbet or a cream ice-cream, produced through a process according to the present invention as previously described, such process comprising at least the steps of:

[0037] preparing a mixture comprising at least one main ingredient in an amount included between 40% and 85% and complementary ingredients in an amount completing 100%, where such complementary ingredients comprise at least one amount of sugar or of one or more sugar syrups in a varying percentage depending on the taste and the consistency that has to be obtained;

[0038] subjecting such mixture to a flash-pasteurization process to obtain a flash-pasteurized ice-cream base.

[0039] Obviously, all other features of the process to obtain the ice-cream base according to the present invention are the previously described ones.