Gelato Day
The warm summer days are here, it’s lazy out on the lake, and the trails are calling for bicycling. Folks are coming up to the Northwoods from all around, and everyone’s looking for a good time. What could top that off better than a scoop of fresh gelato from Farmstead Creamery? In our fourth summer of making homemade gelato from our own milk right off the farm, we’ve encountered a cadre of questions about this special frozen dairy dessert. Maybe you’ve had questions too—so here’s the scoop on gelato.
What Makes Gelato so Special?
Throughout the summertime, folks make the pilgrimage to Farmstead Creamery to enjoy our homemade gelato. Again, and again, we get questions about what makes gelato gelato, so here’s some of the story.
The Story Behind the Name: In Italian, the word “gelato” means “frozen.” Frozen dairy treats date back to Roman times, but gelato was a treat for the weathly who could afford to haul ice down from the mountains. It’s only been recently in history that frozen dairy desserts have been available to everyone, and many folks remark that they “ate their way across Italy on gelato.”
How is Gelato Different from Ice-Cream?: This is the leading question we hear from folks who are interested in unraveling the mysteries of this delicious treat. Here are the highlights:
• Half the butterfat of ice-cream, even though the texture and taste seems rich
• Half the amount of air whipped into the products (called “over-run” in the frozen dairy world), resulting in a custardy consistency
• Served warmer, meaning less freezing of the tongue
Because of these factors, gelato doesn’t need artificial flavors to punch through the extra butterfat and coldness. And because of the density of the product, it can support real fruit purees and nut butters without the structure collapsing.
What Makes the Gelato at Farmstead Creamery Special? Some gelaterias make their product from a powdered mix, which can give gelato a bad name if this version of the dessert was your first exposure, but at Farmstead, we make authentic Italian gelato with a special twist.
Kara trained at the Gelato and Pastry Institute on Long Island in NY, where they flew in master Italian gelato makers for their courses. While at the class, the instructor taught students how to make the “base” (milk and sugar mix that is the starter for all gelato flavors) as well as the finer points of working in fruits, nuts, chocolates, and other inclusions.
While cow’s milk is most commonly used for making gelato today, Kara was interested in using her sheep’s milk, which has a butterfat content of 6 to 7%–the same percentage as is needed for making gelato. She didn’t want to use any other cream or milk solids, so that people with cow lactose issues could enjoy her product. The instructor took special time to help Kara craft her own recipe for base that just uses sheep’s milk–the recipe we still use today.
As far as we’ve been able to research, the only other sheep’s milk gelato producers are in California, Scotland, and Australia. Sheep’s milk is mild and sweet–perfect for a cold summer treat.
I Don’t Get Any Film in My Mouth When I Eat Your Gelato, What’s the Difference? Many ice creams and even commercial gelatos use artificial stabilizers and conditioners that leave a gummy film in your mouth. We use whole ingredients in our product, which leaves a clean and fresh finish on the palate.
This does mean that our product is more fragile and can’t hold out in the scooping case for more than a week (not that this is much of a concern in July!). For longer-term storage, keeping our gelato in the freezer helps, but it must be tempered (slowly warmed) to serving temps before enjoying. But still–nothing’s quite as good as when it’s first out of the batch freezer, so catch it fresh!
Is Farmstead’s Gelato Lactose Free? Lactose is the protein in milk, which can trigger a variety of allergy symptoms for folks who’ve become sensitized. But for many, this allergy is animal specific. Sheep’s milk has different lactose protein chains from cow’s milk. A good indication that you can enjoy our gelato despite lactose sensitivity is whether or not you’ve had any symptoms from goat’s milk products. Others will start with a small taste to see how it works for them. We’ve had clients offer huge hugs in celebration of their new ability to enjoy ice-cream-like products again!
Will it Taste Like Goat’s Milk? Fear not, sheep are not goats (though goat cheese is very yummy too), and the goaty tang is not for everyone. But sheep’s milk is very mild and a little sweet. You probably wouldn’t know it wasn’t from cow’s milk if we didn’t tell you. So join the summer adventure and stop on by to treat yourself to a cup of our special (and delicious) sheep’s milk gelato!