📰 News

📦 Buying in 20-25 kg industrial packs: when it pays off

Many manufacturers offer the option of supplying powder products in 20 or 25 kg industrial packs. This makes it possible to achieve good cost savings; the downside, however, is that you have to commit to purchasing a set quantity of product. This solution can be particularly worthwhile when annual consumption exceeds 1,000 kg of base or 200-250 kg of neutral.

🧼 Hygiene and bacteria prevention in the lab: 8 practical tips

Some practical measures to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination in the lab:

1. Personal hygiene: for example, if you sweat while mixing a product, drops of sweat could fall into the container; if you have a cut or abrasion, this can contaminate the product.
2. Clean and disinfect batch freezers and pasteurizers before starting work.
3. Always keep paste containers clean: in warm weather, mold can form, often caused by condensation.
4. Thoroughly clean the gelato display case, including underneath where air circulates.
5. Use only clean cloths and sponges in the lab, changing them regularly.
6. After peeling bananas, wash and disinfect your hands thoroughly: banana peel residue can remain under the nails and may contain germs.
7. Never place buckets or containers directly on the floor: always use trolleys or washable plastic surfaces, for proper hygiene.
8. After using the immersion blender, disassemble the mixing shaft and separate its tubes, washing the inside of each tube thoroughly.

🔬 The refractometer: a useful tool for correcting the mix

The refractometer is a useful tool in the lab: it lets you read the sugar content (degrees Brix) of the gelato mix and, if needed, correct it before churning (mantecazione), for more consistent, higher-quality results.

🔪 Sharp scraper blades: the secret to perfect gelato straight from the batch freezer

To always get perfect gelato out of the batch freezer, the scraper blades must always be well sharpened: with worn blades, there is a chance of ending up with soft gelato, even if the Brix was perfect.

🍮 Tiramisù paste too intense? How to balance it with vanilla and mascarpone

A practical tip for anyone who finds commercial tiramisù pastes too intense in flavor, with a small trick in the lab:

1. For every 30-40 g of tiramisù paste, add 10-15 g of vanilla paste.
2. Add a pinch of salt only to the vanilla paste and mix it in well before combining it with the tiramisù paste: this way the salt distributes more evenly and enhances sweetness without being noticeable itself.
3. To round out the flavor, you can also add mascarpone to the mix: as a rough guide, about 500 g per 4 liters of mix.
4. After blending everything together, check the Brix level with the refractometer: adding mascarpone and pastes can push the value higher than expected.
5. If the Brix is too high, correct it by adding a little fresh milk at 3.5% fat, up to a maximum of about 100 g, to bring the mix back into the right range.