Observations on the Use of Roller Process Sweet Cream Buttermilk Powder in Ice Cream

Summary Experiments were conducted to determine the influence of roller process sweet cream buttermilk powder upon the properties of ice cream mixes and ice cream. The buttermilk product was used as the additional source of milk solids-not-fat for ice cream and the corresponding skimmilk product was used in the same manner in control mixes. In every comparison, the sweet cream buttermilk and skimmilk products were both derived from the same lot of mixed whole milk. There were no consistent or marked differences in the viscosities of the ice cream mixes which could be attributed to any single factor. A consistent improvement in the whipping ability of ice cream mixes was obtained through the use of roller process sweet cream buttermilk powder as the additional source of milk solids-not-fat in place of skimmilk powder. In most trials, the desired overrun was obtained in one to two minutes less time than for the control mixes. The superior whipping ability of the mixes which contained roller process sweet cream buttermilk powder was further evidenced by the fact that the desired overrun was obtained at a lower temperature than that of the controls. Overrun-time curves and overrun-temperature curves derived from whipping tests are presented which show that the superior whipping ability of sweet cream buttermilk mixes persisted over a wide range of overruns. The maximum overrun obtainable was not increased through the use of roller process sweet cream buttermilk powder and tended to be somewhat inhibited in butter mixes. Ice creams which contained sweet cream buttermilk solids were observed to be drier in appearance and greater in consistency when freshly drawn from the freezer than control mixes which contained skimmilk solids. The melting resistance of the ice creams was not markedly affected by the use of sweet cream buttermilk solids. In all comparisons, it was noted that the ice creams which contained sweet cream buttermilk solids were more foamy in appearance during melting and that the foam of the filtrate contained smaller air cells than that of the control samples. In many comparisons, the samples of ice cream which contained sweet cream buttermilk solids were judged as richer in flavor than the controls which contained skimmilk powder. It was further noted that whereas ice cream which contained roller process skimmilk powder was often criticized for possessing a cooked flavor, this criticism was never employed in evaluating the ice creams which contained roller process sweet cream buttermilk powder. The use of roller process sweet cream buttermilk powders derived from buttermilk obtained by the churning of sweet cream testing either 25, 33, or 40 per cent butterfat was found to influence the ice cream mixes in a similar manner. In view of these results, it appears that the normal variations in the phospholipid content of buttermilk which result from the churning of creams within the above range of butterfat contents have no significant influence upon the properties of either ice cream mixes or ice cream, the maximum effect being approached through the use of buttermilk from 25 per cent cream.