The flavours of a good hand-made gelato in springtime

The flavours of a good hand-made gelato in springtime

As spring approaches, so too does our desire for fresh, sweet, genuine flavours. And what better way than to enjoy a great hand-made gelato as you stroll through the park or to add the finishing touches to that weekend away?

When the flowers come out in spring, gelato parlours fill with people looking to enjoy a good hand-made gelato, to celebrate the arrival of the warmer weather.

Here are a few suggestions to help you come up with a great springtime hand-made gelato.

Strawberry

With its intense aroma, freshness and sweetness, the strawberry is a huge hit with consumers, used for making the most popular flavour of hand-made gelato. The ultimate spring treat, strawberries are perfect for making creams, sorbets, syrups, fruit juices, granitas and jams, or for decorating and garnishing cold dishes and desserts. A traditional flavour which combines perfectly with any other fruit flavours, but also with creamy hand-made gelato flavours.

Amarena or Sour Cherry

Fleshy and slightly bitter, the sour cherry comes from a different type of cherry tree: it is the fruit of the Wild Cherry, Prunus cerasus, a plant native to Asia Minor. With its deep red colour and smooth shiny skin, the sour cherry is a popular ingredient for making hand-made gelato during spring. A perfect companion for other fruit flavours, amarena is delicious whether enjoyed on its own, or else with added sour cherry syrup, but it combines perfectly with even the most delicate creamy gelato flavours.

Pear

Cool and refreshing, pears are a typical springtime fruit, used for making a hand-made gelato flavour that is unique and highly enjoyable for the true gelato aficionado. With its wealth of sugars and vitamins, pear is an unusual and very delicate flavour for the gelato parlour, which can be offered as an accompaniment for chocolate creations or for making delicious sorbets and frozen desserts.

Yogurt

An outstanding combination with fruit flavours, perfect with creamy hand-made gelatos as well as being delicious on its own, yogurt-flavoured hand-made gelato has become a mainstay of every gelato parlour. An excellent ingredient for making frozen desserts, milkshakes or original creations, great for making enticing decorations, yogurt-flavoured hand-made gelato is an excellent offering for the spring season. 

The flavours of a good hand-made gelato in springtime
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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