Ice Cream with Dry Ice

I love the texture I get when making icecream with dried ice, but I hate the residual CO2 flavor it imparts. I have read elsewhere that the trapped CO2 will dissipate over time, but I find that even a week after sitting in the freezer the flavor of the CO2 remains. Perhaps I am using too much dry ice? Could the quality of my dry ice be the problem? Or maybe my understanding all along has been wrong, and I should always expect that CO2 flavor to remain?

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tshewman

For me, I thought it was the CO2, then I thought it was my mixer bowl. So what do I do? Replace my mixer bowl and grind the dry ice finer. Not a problem since (of course I have no idea which the problem was). Then I tried liquid nitrogen. The necessity of using a torch was a bit less than ideal, but WOW, talk about smooth. Am in talks with local school for acquiring a large tank. FWIW. If I recall you are in Vegas? Enough shops there to sink a ship (at treasure island ;-)..), perhaps see if one is willing.....?

ttpoker

I've worked with N2O before, but its not an easy thing to come by for home use when doing a dinner party. Dry Ice is readily available, so thats what I have been trying to spin with when I want that silky smooth texture. For what it's worth, I use a Vitamix to get powdered dry ice... I'm thinking that maybe I am using too much, but I am not positive.

tshewman

That's possible. I typically crush with rolling pin (while onlookers think I've lost my mind), then blend and use one scoop at a time as I churn. I've tried estimating it and pouring but apparently I suck at it and I always have to wait to for it to sublimate. When only crushing by hand, my sublimation time has always been longer (no surprise).

ttpoker

Revisiting this old topic, I am reading Brooks Heeley's excellent new book "Fancy Desserts". Brooks is of course the genius behind the Olive Oil Gelato at Del Posto in NYC. In the book Brooks discusses the use of dry ice when making gelato, he advises using dry ice pellets which makes sense because it is easier to grind into a powder, and then use 1 cup of this powder while churning. This is more than I have been using, yet he does not mention the residual CO2 flavor imparted into the gelato base; which is the problem I have been having. But he spins for 2 minutes, which is around 1 minute longer than I tried, and he advises placing the gelato right into the freezer in an airtight container for 24 hours. I found my gelato made with dry ice tasted like CO2 1 week later; but I am willing to give it a try again. Ready to experiment once more, here I go!