The taste of springtime: gelato with fruit

The taste of springtime: gelato with fruit

Springtime! When the warm weather returns, so too do walks outdoors, nights out with friends, weekend escapes from the city ... and that longing for gelato!

How many of our customers are “seasonal”? Urged on by the warm spring weather, they suddenly get that sweet tooth back and head for the gelato shop. So let’s amaze them with some fresh seasonal flavours, based on fruit and milk, but which also capture the imagination.
There is more to a gelato shop than cups and cones! This is a tip that applies to those who eat gelato as well as to those who make it. In addition to gelato, why not offer smoothies, frozen desserts, sorbets ...

Here are some suggestions:

Strawberry
Queen of the fruits, the favourite of young and old alike, the strawberry is available as fresh fruit for making gelato from April to September. It is perfect in combination with vanilla gelato and morello cherries, or for a gelato cake with fiordilatte.

Kiwi
Now a regular fixture in healthy diets, Italy is currently the world’s second largest producer (after China) of these fruits. Kiwifruits contain large amounts of vitamins, especially vitamin C, in even higher quantities than in oranges; we make the most of its antioxidant power to propose it in tandem with banana or extra-dark chocolate, as we await the granitas of the summer.

Lime
With its sour yet aromatic flavour, the lime is one of the oldest citrus fruits in nature, along with the mandarin. It lends itself well to making candied fruit, refreshing sorbets and simple gelatos, flavoured with some added cloves or ginger.

Apple
Still available until April, the (false) fruit of the apple tree, a native of Central Asia, is an excellent springtime flavour and a versatile ingredient in many recipes. In gelatos, it combines beautifully with tropical fruits such as mango and papaya, aromas such as cinnamon, cocoa, or with a spiced cream to balance its full-bodied character.

Peach
Yellow or white, nectarine or clingstone, the peach has a delicate and pleasant flavour, loved by all. It matures in late April-early May, and lends itself naturally not only to making gelato, but also to sorbets and granitas. Combine it with yogurt for a low-calorie snack, with cream for a tasty transgression or candied ginger for a spicy flavour.

The taste of springtime: gelato with fruit
Brioche with gelato
Brioche with gelato

Sliced open and filled with gelato, with cream, or even with both, the brioche with gelato is a typical Sicilian speciality which has recently been exported to the rest of Italy; it is becoming increasingly common to see gelato shops offering this delicacy, with regional variations such as croissants and buns or the truly Sicilian “tuppo” brioche.

Vegan gelato, the new trend of Italian gelato-making.
Vegan gelato, the new trend of Italian gelato-making.

The last SIGEP, the International Homemade Gelato, Pastry, and Bakery Fair, in Rimini, saw a trend among all of the major companies in the industry to offer products – and in some cases an entire product line – for vegans. 

Part 2 - Pasteurization and homogenization of italian gelato
Part 2 - Pasteurization and homogenization of italian gelato

After selecting, assaying and processing the raw materials with the other ingredients, the next stages in making hand-made gelato are pasteurization and homogenization.

How to select ingredients for your gelato
How to select ingredients for your gelato

Why do manufacturer of ingredients for gelato parlours offer such a wide range of different bases? As user requirements differ so widely, the products are designed to help the gelato-maker to get consistently balanced mixtures, for creamier, more scoopable gelato.

Part 3 -Maturation and Batch freezing of Italian gelato
Part 3 -Maturation and Batch freezing of Italian gelato

After pasteurization and homogenization, it is time for the mixture to undergo maturation and batch-freezing, which are crucial stages for a good hand-made gelato.

Investments, costs and revenues in opening a gelato shop
Investments, costs and revenues in opening a gelato shop

Over the course of time, Italian gelato has earned itself a reputation for continuous innovation in production methods, technologies and ingredients, often dictated by the needs of both practising and would-be gelato-makers.

How to make a good hand-made gelato
How to make a good hand-made gelato

Making gelato used to involve a machine known as a sorbetière, refrigerated using ice and salt, with the mix being batch frozen by hand using a long spatula-shaped stick. Luckily, things have changed quite a bit since then! 

Selecting the gelato ingredients
Selecting the gelato ingredients

Choosing the right raw materials is a fundamental part of making outstanding hand-made gelato: the finest milk, eggs and sugar, and the best semi-finished ingredients and semi-finished products are a key component in the creativity of every craftsman.

The role of semi-finished products in gelato-making
The role of semi-finished products in gelato-making

Compound ingredients for gelato or semi-finished products are mixtures of ingredients in powder or paste that the gelato-maker keeps by his side when preparing mixtures (stabilization) and giving them flavor.

Liquorice: a tasty hand-made gelato
Liquorice: a tasty hand-made gelato

Creamy, sweet and tasty, liquorice is one of the most popular hand-made gelato flavours. With its unique and refined taste, liquorice is not only used for its therapeutic properties, but is also a great ingredient for many recipes in the gelato parlour.

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