Question about ice cream makers

[blah]

what is the rock salt for? what would happen if i used the ice cream maker w/o it? and how do i know if i churned for too long?

 

[choclatechef]

The rock salt is to lower the temperature of the ice so you get better freezing. The salt/ice combination is colder than just ice.

If you use your freezer without the salt, then it may be that your ice cream will not freeze enough.

 

[Michael in FtW]

choclatechef was on target, as usual.

Ice is +32-F ... adding salt to make it a 20% brine lowers the temp to about +2-F. The coldest a brine solution can get is -2-F (23% brine).

Since the sugar in the mix lowers the water's freezing point ... without the salt you would probably just wind up thick "soup". In other words, the ice cream "won't make".

As for overchurning ... (1) you'll not be able to remove the ice cream from the cannister without great difficulty, (2) you'll burn out the motor as the mixture becomes too thick, and if mixing my hand (3) it will become impossible to turn the crank. At this point you have exceeded the churning phase and moved into the early freezing stage.

I found a site that you might find of some interest ... on the Science of Ice Cream: http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/findsci.html

 

[Andy M.]

...and how do i know if i churned for too long?

You end up with an ice cream maker full of oreo cookie BUTTER!

 

[blah]

oh i see good thing i didnt make the ice cream without it ^^;