THE MANY ADVANTAGES OF USING A PREGEL BASE FOR GELATO

Bases are fundamental for the preparation of a good artisanal gelato in today’s modern world. In comparison to the scratch-made method, using a base has the advantage of extending the shelf-life of gelato, guarantees a constant quality, provides a well-balanced mix and assures the total hygiene of the product. The base will also enhance the flavourings that are added to it, and of course, makes the preparation of the gelato much easier.

PreGel’s common powder gelato bases contain sugars, skim milk powder, stabilizers (such as guar gum or locust bean gum), emulsifiers (such as monoglycerides, di-glycerides and Lecithin), and flavours that are usually dairy based. The ratio of the different ingredients in a gelato recipe depends on the dosage of the base; it is commonly 50g, 100g, 150g or 200g of powder base per 1,000g of whole milk.

Sugars & Fats

Sugars’ role in gelato and sorbetto is to make them sweet and to control the amount of water frozen while fats will give a smooth creamy texture (and therefore increase scoop-ability) and a dairy flavor, and contribute the product’s overrun.


Stabilizers


The main function of stabilizers (think of it as a sponge) over time is to absorb as much free water as possible to postpone the freezing growth of ice crystals during the freezing process and storage of the gelato. They link the water and solids in the recipe together. As a result, they will improve the smoothness of the body, give the desired resistance to melting and improve the handling properties. The amount of stabilizer used is about 0.2%- 0.5% depending on the solid content of the mix and the type of processing equipment used.

Emulsifiers

The role of emulsifiers is of much importance since they delay the separation of the butterfat from water, giving the product a dryer, smoother texture and consistency. They link the water and fats in the recipe together. Moreover, they will decrease the melting ratio rate of the finished product so the smaller ice crystals are more evenly distributed and to limit the production of smaller air cells for a smoother product. Today, many modern gelato powder bases contain emulsifiers for its obvious advantages it brings the finish product. Because both emulsifiers and stabilizers are such small quantities (0.5% of the total mix), it is almost impossible to incorporate them manually in your recipe without compromising the final result of the product.


The Processes

PreGel‘s products include bases that can be produced in two different ways. The Hot Process uses a machine called a pasteurizer and requires the mix to warm up to a temperature of 85°C/185°F to activate the emulsifying and stabilizing system, and then drops to 4°C/39.2°F. The flavours are then added to the base and it is placed in a batch freezer. This process lasts for about one hour for a quantity of about 60 liters of base. The advantages of this process are more flexibility and lower food costs. The other process that is easier and faster is the Cold Process. Here, the base is simply obtained by adding the liquids to the mix and then placing in a batch freezer. The Super Sprint is the most pioneering process developed at PreGel that requires the least time and difficulty. While technically the Super Sprint Process falls under Cold Process using a Super Sprint product only requires the addition of water or milk, and toppings for decoration. This base does not require any additional flavouring, sugar or cream.

PreGel bases are extremely useful to gelato makers because they have been designed using a technology that creates a mix already balanced in terms of sugar, fats, skimmed milk and solids, to which you simply add the liquid part and sugar, if needed. Therefore, bases constitute a great solution for elaborate recipes.

PreGel CANADA offers a wide range of bases that allows the gelato maker to customize his/her gelato specific to their businesses likes, the consumer response and so forth:

Milk Bases:
 

Totalbase®, Diamant 50 and Milk Base White Sprint require the addition of water or milk and sugar to create a soft, blended texture that carries a neutral, sweet flavour. These bases carry light milk or cream flavours and provides a soft and creamy milk base for gelato and ice cream.

Fruit Bases:

Fruttosa® and Fruttosa® Milk-Free: these bases constitute the modern solution for sorbetto making compared to the old-fashioned production of sugar syrups (water and sugar in a sorbet recipe that has already been cooked). While using this neutral, sweet flavour, the only thing you will have to worry about is the quality of the fresh fruits, frozen fruits or fruit purees that you will add to it according to the season and market prices.

Low Calorie, Soy, Halal Dairy Bases: 


Totalbase®, Fruttosa®, Dietetic Milk Base, Neutral Soya Base and Yoggi 30® Flavoured Powders have been especially created through PreGel’s program of Research and Development to answer specific customers’ needs. For instance, the Neutral Soya Base is recommended for persons who can’t tolerate milk and for diabetic persons – since it does not contain any saccharose sugar- but also to health conscious consumers, as well as consumers affected by hypercholesterolemia (it does not contain any fat).

To respond to a growing market including various cultures and tastes, most of these bases are also Halal Dairy certified.

The ideal gelato should possess a typical, pleasant and desirable flavour, have a smooth, uniform body and texture, have desirable melting properties, possess a natural colour and have a low count in bacterial count. The quality of an artisan gelato is subjective and the gelato maker has to trust his abilities, knowledge and experiences while trying to understand the expectancies of the customers. Producing high quality gelato requires specific knowledge and PreGel bases can be your solution to avoid or correct defects of your products and enhance the quality of your product. A good artisan gelato is the result of a great base.