Why is my Frozen Yogurt Grainy?

Question

I used Cal Peternell's recipe:

1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of half and half
1/2 cup of sugar
pinch of salt
3 cups of whole milk yogurt
zest and juice of a half lemon

BUT... Instead of half and half I replaced it for cream because this is what I had at the moment. Could that be the culprit?

Also, what was your freezing method, and how long did it take? — moscafj, Sep 23 '19 at 13:38
Hi: Thanks for writing back, yes the recipe called for 3 cups of whole milk yogurt, and it took about an hour to freeze. I was using the Breville ice cream cream maker. — savilac, Oct 06 '19 at 14:56

moscafj · Answer 1 · 2019-10-07T06:54:10.563

Quicker freezing = smaller ice crystals. One hour is a long time, that likely contributed to your grainy texture. If the Breville ice maker is your only option, make sure your base is as cold as possible before using the ice cream maker. That means refrigerating it for several hours in advance. You also might want to strain your base through a fine sieve first. This would help to ensure that the graininess is not coming from your ingredients.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 08 '19 at 12:25

The first culprit is the recipe ratios. You have only 6% of fat and 16% of nonfat solids. This is way too low, and unlikely to ever produce smooth frozen yogurt. So, change the recipe, you won't get far with this one.

Second, for a good frozen dessert, there are many things that have to go right at the same time. We have tons of old questions on which ones these are, so for them, please refer to Preventing Crystalised Dairy Ice Cream, especially the questions in the Linked section in the right column.

Why is my Frozen Yogurt Grainy?

2 Answers2