34 Melting Quality Characteristics

1. Curdy Melt-Down: May be due to visible fat particles or due to coagulation of the milk proteins so is affected by factors that influence fat destabilization or the protein stability such as:

• High acidity (protein coagulation).
• Salt balance (protein coagulation).
• High homogenizing pressures (fat coagulation).
• Over-freezing in the freezer (fat coagulation).

2. Does not Melt: See ice cream structure, under the section on melt-down and fat structure/destabilization. May be caused by:

• Over emulsification.
• Wrong emulsifier.
• High fat.
• Excessive fat clumping in the mix due to homogenization at too low a temperature or single-stage homogenizer.
• Freezing to too low a temperature at freezer.

3. Wheying off: The salt balance, protein composition, and carrageenan addition (or lack or it) all are factors.