Should the store bought Ice Cream be totally frozen when I take it out of my freezer to scoop? Or should it be "scoopable"? Is that a word?
We have a side by side fridge freezer.
Anyway, I am not a huge Ice Cream fan, but lately we have been trying different brands. I have to pull out the ice cream and let it soften or I cannot get a scoop into it even when I dip the scoop in warm water.
I know this is not life altering or as important as parenting, but it is driving me insane.
I think my freezer is set too high. Yes, this is Blue Bell Tirimasu, Very high fat content, I had also Purchased Bryers, Haagen Dass.. They have all been totally frozen.
I own the antifreeze handled scoops. They are awesome, but even they could not handle the frozen Ice Cream..
Thanks for the info.. I will raise the temp a bit. I wonder if since I have been trying to use all of the things in the freezer, and it is now only half as full as usual, it does not need to be so cold anymore?
I read somewhere that the quality of the cream used determines the scoopability.
The really rich and premium ice creams with a high "cream" content has a much higher freezing point than ice creams closer to "iced milk" so they tend to be softer than their less rich counter parts. It has to do with the water to cream ratio. More water...harder ice cream. Real deal, super rich ice cream...dreamy.
It depends on the brand and how pure the ice cream is. Breyer's is actually pretty scoopable, it's just the way it's made. Even if it's been in the back of my freezer it comes out fairly scoopable. Ben and Jerry recommend (yes I do have a B&J cookbook...pathetic! ;) that you never dip a scoop in hot water b/c when it meets the ice cream it forms an unpleasant layer of ice on the outside of the scoop. It's not really that noticable but can affect the texture and flavor. It's better to let it sit out for a few minutes first. I love Breyer's myself, and Ben and Jerry's. I only buy ice cream that is natural, has no high fructose corn syrup and has limited ingredients.
I only buy Breyers and since they raised the price and made the container smaller I quit buying it.
Breyers is natural and I have one with a ton of food allergies. She doesn't need all that gunk.
My husband takes the ice cream from the freezer a few minutes before he wants to eat it.
I keep the ice cream in the door. It doesn't get as cold and is easily scoopable right from the freezer with no waiting.
I like this question! :-) I am a huge fan of "scoopable" ice cream. I always let the cream sit out for a while before I scoop. My favorite brands are Breyers (or Walmart's all-natural knock-off version) because the only ingredients are cream and sugar. (well, and a few other things)--but not 50-100 ingredients like most of the other brands out there! :-)
Anyway, to answer your question, I think it's normal to be totally frozen when you take it out of the freezer. If your ice cream fits in the door, you could try storing it there because that'll be the warmest part of your freezer. Good luck and enjoy the ice cream!
According to professional ice cream tasters (yes that's a real job) ice cream should be melting on the edges to taste proper. sometimes i zap mine in the microwave for 10 to 30 seconds depending on the size. Or you can leave it sitting out for about 4 minutes
The higher fat content will be easier to scoop, the more water content will be harder and icier.
Hmm. May depend on the settings of your freezer. My thought is that if you pull out two brands at the same time: one is scoopable and one is not? Well my guess would be that the scoopable one might have more air in it and less 'stuff.' My bet is that Bluebell is harder to scoop, right? And maybe the other brand scoops more easily? Maybe b/c Bluebell is a higher quality? I have no idea.
As you try new flavors - check out my favorite. HEB makes a "Strawberries and Cream" sherbet/vanilla blend. Sold in the quarts by the other sherbet. It's wonderful. Scoops easily. Not sure if that's good or bad!
ADDED: My first job was Baskin Robbins. (Thanks a lot, L.. I'm thinking about ice cream sundae's now!). Anyway - the French Vanilla and Chocolate Fudge were always the hardest to scoop. I am not sure why ...... they were in the same freezer as all the others. But omg so hard to scoop. We dreaded when people asked for a hand-packed quart of that stuff.
If every brand is too hard to scoop right out of the freezer then your freezer is set too low.
I get grumpy when the ice cream is too hard to scoop! Some brands are easier to scoop. My kids throw it in the microwave for a few seconds and it seems to help.
Check out Pampered Chef's ice cream scoop (http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?pro...! It's fantastic with all brands of ice cream...though I'm a Breyer's fan myself. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and the heat of your hand heats the scooper and makes scooping ice cream a breeze. I've had my same scoop for 8 years and LOVE IT!
Mine is always rock hard too, we usually run warm water over the scooper and it works, also just a few minutes out on the counter helps too. By the time I've warmed the scooper it's usually softening.
put some muscle behind that scoop! lol its suppose to be super hard. i could see someone having much more ease leaving it on the counter for a few mins. there are some great icecream scoopers that cut into the ice cream. pampered chef has one. or if you dip the scooper into a glass of hot water that might help.
I take my ice cream out of the freezer then microwave, in the original box, it about 12-15 seconds to soften it just a bit, it is perfect to scoop. I pop the rest back in quickly and it lasts just like normal.
