Frozen Custard is a gourmet ice cream treat which first originated on Coney Island, New York, as a carnival treat at the turn-of-the-century. By definition, frozen custard must contain as a minimum 10 percent butterfat and 1.4 percent egg yolk. Traditional ice cream must only contain 10 percent butterfat. Butterfat percentage can vary in mixes, typically between 10 and 16 percent. French Vanilla ice cream is, by definition frozen custard, due to the egg content.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT?
There are a couple differences between frozen custard and traditional hard ice cream. Frozen Custard is generally made daily and served at 18-19 degrees Fahrenheit. Traditional ice cream is made at 22-24 degrees Fahrenheit, flash frozen to -10 degrees Fahrenheit or less, and stored at -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Scooping and serving temperature for ice cream is 5 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit.
Overrun, the amount of air beat into ice cream is another feature that makes frozen custard different from traditional ice cream. The overrun on ice cream can range dramatically from product to product to product varying from 50 to 100 percent. Frozen custard has only a 20 percent overrun.
High overrun will cause a light and fluffy texture, where a lower overrun will equate to a richer and denser texture.
When eating frozen custard one will find a noticeable difference in taste and texture. The texture is smooth, dense and soft. The combination of egg, temperature and overrun is what sets frozen custard apart from other ice creams.
