Recent research from the United State Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) shows that freeze-dried berry powders can act as an “outstanding stabilizer,” in ice cream and other frozen desserts. In the testing, researchers tested strawberry, raspberry and blackberry freeze-dried powders. While raspberry freeze-dried powders performed very well, strawberry showed the strongest performance.
In fact, freeze-dried strawberry powder was so effective that frozen dairy desserts maintained their shape even after reaching room temperature – completely preventing meltdown!
Without a stabilizer, ice cream—home-made or commercial—can become unpleasantly crunchy with the growth of large ice crystals. It can happen in the ice cream maker or the freezer, when temperatures change. Stabilizers also slow down melting, prevent wheying off (the leaking of a clear watery serum), help avoid shrinking during storage and increase your mouth’s perception of creaminess.
While strawberry performed very well, blueberry did not prevent melt-down or ice crystal formation during refreezing.
Standard stabilizers, such as guar gum and xanthan gum, are commonplace in ice cream, but consumers can sometimes react negatively to their chemical-sounding names. These freeze-dried fruit powders may be a good solution for manufacturers seeking ingredients that are more recognizable to consumers.
Learn more about the study and see the USDA’s full press release here.
Contact your Skidmore representative to determine if a freeze-dried berry powder could be right for your application.
