Making Ice Cream At Home? Beware Of The Scrambled Egg Effect

If you're making ice cream at home, you should always start with the custard, which is a creamy base made from milk, eggs and sweetener. Deep-chilling the custard will make sure you get the consistency right of the ice cream. 

But something else also needs to be well-prepped and that's the egg. If you are using scrambled eggs in the base, it can easily throw off the texture of the custard and it mainly happens because of the high cooking temperature. Remember all egg-based custards can curdle if they are cooked at high temperatures for a substantial amount of time. 

One of the most common ways to fix this is by starting at a low temperature and constantly stirring which prevents any kind of curdling. When you notice the mixture curdling you can remove the pan from the gas and dip it into a bigger pot filled with cold water and whisk it vigorously which can also help with the curdling. However, an easier way to deal with the issue is by tempering it. 

How To Use Tempering To Make Ice Cream 

For tempering the custard, you just need to add a small amount of the hot liquid base to your room-temperature eggs. You need to start whisking it at high speed before the eggs have a chance to scramble; this will raise the temperature of the eggs and will also act as a buffer to prevent the eggs from coagulating with milk, which can lead to a scramble. 

Tempering it for 4-5 minutes will solve the scrambling problem, following which you can pour the mixture into a bigger bowl. If you’re tempering the eggs before mixing them, make sure you use a hand mixer for this process, especially for no-churn recipes where whisking is the most crucial part. You can stop whisking when you spot peak firms forming. 

Add The Flavouring After Mixing 

Flavouring agents, especially extracts, should ideally be added when the custard has cooled so do not add them while tempering the eggs or while settling the custard. This can mess with the taste profile of the ice cream; it’s best to add them right before you pour the mixture into your churning or whipping bowl (for no-churn recipes) or the ice cream maker. Try to chill the custard in the fridge overnight especially if you’re going for a no-churn recipe; this is called ‘ageing’ the custard and will make the ice cream airier and will deliver added smoothness.