Replacing some of the sugar (sucrose) with dextrose is a key method for making ice cream less sweet.
Here's a breakdown of how and why this works:
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Dextrose vs. Sucrose: Dextrose is about 75% (or ¾) as sweet as sucrose (table sugar). This means you can use dextrose to reduce the overall sweetness profile without significantly impacting the ice cream's texture.
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Freezing Point Depression: Dextrose has a greater impact on lowering the freezing point of water compared to sucrose. This is important because it helps to keep the ice cream soft and scoopable, preventing it from becoming too hard.
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Practical Application: The recommended method is to substitute a portion of the sucrose in your ice cream recipe with dextrose. Experiment with the ratio to find the level of sweetness that you prefer. Start by replacing around 25%-50% of the sucrose with dextrose.
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Where to Find Dextrose: Dextrose is available at various locations, including:
- Pharmacists
- Home brewing supply shops
- Baking aisles of supermarkets
In summary, using dextrose to partially replace the sucrose in your ice cream recipe reduces the sweetness and helps maintain a desirable texture.
