Water Ice & Sorbet

When you’re eating a delicious and rich meal and you feel like you need something to cleanse your palate, what you’re usually looking for is sorbet. When you’re enjoying a hot summer day and looking to cool down with an icy treat, that is usually a water ice. While these desserts both feature fruit, sugar and water, they are not one in the same—the difference comes in the processing. Sorbet has a smoother texture because of the repeated stirring during processing.

Employing hydrocolloids in your water ice or sorbet formulation can provide creamy meltdown and smooth texture while also preventing the ice crystallization and coarseness associated with heat shock, which all ultimately contribute to an enjoyable eating experience.

Texture attributes of water ice & sorbet formulations

• Viscosity
• Surface graininess
• Particle size

Functions of stabilizers in water ice & sorbet formulations

• Minimize ice crystal growth or formation
• Improve or impart smooth texture
• Achieve optimal freeze/thaw stability

Questions a Gum Guru may ask when recommending a stabilizer

• Are you making any label claims?
• What functionality are you looking to achieve?
• Is this a low sugar formulation?
• What percentage of solids do you currently have in your sorbet and gelato?
• Is there a heating step during processing?