Berry Healthy: Basics 101: The Cooler Side of Cocktails How to Handle Alcohol in Frozen Desserts

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Cheers! Salud! Gan Bei! Sláinte! Prost! Cin Cin! Sante! Who says toasts are only for beverages? If you’re looking to raise your gelato dish rather than your glass, here are some important tips before you take on creating delicious alcohol-infused frozen desserts. The inherent challenge when using alcoholic beverages in frozen applications is that the… Read more »

The Importance of a Good Foundation

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A good base is essential in the production of artisanal gelato. With it comes many advantages, such as an extended shelf-life, a consistent level of quality and a well-balanced mix that guarantees the total hygiene of the product. A base also accentuates any added flavoring and simplifies production in an efficient and systematic way. Most… Read more »

The Big 5: Frozen Dessert Basics

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The frozen dessert category is growing and evolving every day with numerous additions to the category in all facets of business from grocery shelves to QSRs. Ice cream, gelato, sorbet, frozen yogurt and custard are only the cusp of what’s out there, but constitute the BIG 5 of what shops are outputting. However, consumers are… Read more »

Basics 101: Cocoa Powder

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When it comes to cocoa, the Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham, summed it up right saying, “Cocoa, the food of the gods and the electuary of lovers, has captivated humanity with its exotic flavor and sensuous mouth feel. The world would be a poorer place if not for heavenly cocoa!” Chocolate has and continues to mesmerize… Read more »

Basics 101: Pectin: Interesting Name, Interesting Ingredient

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Pectin is an interesting little ingredient. From simple jams and jellies, to high-end pastry and everything in between, pectin allows for fruit-based desserts and dessert components to have that perfect gel texture. The name sounds like something you would find on the periodic table – though not scientific, pastry chefs would agree that it is… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Understanding the Standards and Variations of Timeless Pastry Items

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Pastries are sophisticated and elegant desserts that demand high expectations from customers. They aren’t the easiest to craft and understand, often taking years of culinary schooling to perfect. Pastries often have unpronounceable names because of their provenance, but these delicacies are big players in the food industry and thus deserve a basic understanding.With similar names… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Perfecting Frozen Desserts Texture Improvers, Explained

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For the specialty dessert connoisseur the difference between a top-notch creation and an average one can be miles apart. Although the ingredients, base, recipe, process and equipment play a critical role in the final result, there’s one product category in particular that’s often misunderstood and forgotten that can make all the difference – texture improvers…. Read more »

Berry Healthy: Briefs

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Let It Rest Letting a frozen dessert mixture rest after you’ve combined the ingredients (i.e. base, flavors, liquid, etc.) will help achieve optimal flavor. The ideal timeframe is 24 hours if possible. After you’ve let it rest, blend it for a few minutes to ensure nothing separated and then feed into the frozen dessert machine… Read more »

Berry Healthy Briefs

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Going Against the Grain: Not all consumers seek healthy options Healthy and wholesome options in QSRs continue to gain momentum as calorie count postings reveal the sometimes scary numbers behind the meals offered, but there’s always the consumer who frankly doesn’t care. Yes, there are still consumers who want to indulge and enjoy the grease,… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Basics 101: Jumping Over the Sugar Hurdle – Discovering Healthy Sugar Alternatives

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Health-conscious consumers make up a greater share of today’s market. This raises a necessary concern among chefs and food establishment owners, as there is a constant battle of producing delicious desserts and baked goods while cutting calories and increasing nutritional value. While this task may seem daunting, there are excellent substitutions on the market that… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Basics 101: Understanding the Benefits of Fresh Versus Powdered Egg Whites

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If the culinary world had a boxing match, the headliner would be fresh ingredients versus powdered/concentrate ingredients. Trending are locally sourced, organic ingredients, which we can all appreciate, but are the alternatives really all that bad? In the culinary world, every ingredient out there serves a purpose. Today’s underdogs, the powders, concentrates and innovative ingredients… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Basics 101: The Dish on Vegan Substitutes

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From Mike Tyson to Ellen DeGeneres, more and more people are adopting a vegan lifestyle. The reasons are not always political or social, but are often the result of allergies or lactose intolerance. Also, consumers are taking note of studies that show a vegan/vegetarian diet can help lower cholesterol, risk of heart disease, blood pressure,… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Basics 101: Yogurt

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First, what is yogurt? According to culturesforhealth.com “yogurt is the product of beneficial bacteria fermenting milk and turning it into a thickened, acidic food that will stay fresh longer than milk itself, and that contains millions of bacteria that are welcomed by the human digestive system.” Yogurt is produced using two primary forms of bacteria…. Read more »

Berry Healthy: Basics 101: As the Slogan Goes, “The Incredible, Edible Egg™”

Eggs

While most often found scrambled, poached, boiled, deviled, coddled or fried, the egg is a staple part of our diets and is also a key component in pastries and frozen desserts. How humans identified eggs for their nutritious benefits and functions in the kitchen is somewhat of a mystery—likely a result of trial and error… Read more »

Berry Healthy: What’s Cooking? Safety in the Kitchen

Saftey

Working in a kitchen environment is fun and fast-paced; however, there are many risks in daily kitchen life. The following guidelines will help you create a safe, functional operation that protects your employees and produces safe food products for your customers. Avoid Injuries Workplace injuries cause a range of problems, including injured personnel, loss of… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Delicious and Nutritious: Doctors Say “Yes” to Chocolate

Yes To Chocolate

“Take a piece of chocolate twice a day while symptoms persist.” Isn’t that what you wish you’d hear during visits to the doctor? Well, good news for those of us who have been self-medicating with chocolate all along: There are actually valid reasons to follow this advice while maintaining your healthy lifestyle. Many recent studies… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Basics 101: Chocolate

Chocolate Process

Chocolate: The word alone invokes pleasure for most of us. Its crisp, smooth texture with rich and bold flavor creates an always-satisfying experience. “Simple Magnificence: The Cacao Bean”  walks us through the origins of chocolate’s fundamental ingredient – the cacao bean. The process flow diagram ( below) provides an overview of how cacao beans are… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Understanding Kosher

What Is Kosher? The word “kosher” is derived from Hebrew and translates to English as meaning “proper” and “pure.” In a general sense, kosher may refer to any person, thing, food or situation that may be deemed acceptable according to certain standards. While originally used in Judaism to describe ritual texts or practices, nowadays kosher… Read more »

Berry Healthy: The Scoop on Alternative Sweeteners

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There are many alternative sweeteners available to provide consumers with the sweet taste they crave, without the calories or carbohydrates that natural sugar adds to food and beverages. Sucralose, stevia and aspartame are a select few among the long list of substitute sweeteners available in the marketplace today. With so many offerings and multiple claims,… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Basics 101: “Billions of ‘Friendly’ Live Active Cultures” in Your Frozen Yogurt

Probiotics

As we scan our local grocery stores and eateries, it seems that more and more product labels and marketing materials are boasting pro- and prebiotics. If you’re like most people, we’re left asking ourselves, “Since when did I order bacteria with my frozen yogurt?” Turns out you’re not alone, and a closer look at these… Read more »

Berry Healthy: Functional Foods – Favorable and Flavorful

Functional Foods

During times like these, getting the most for your money is important, but what about getting the most for your body as well? There are many nutrients and dietary components that occur naturally in our everyday foods that provide great health benefits. Capitalizing on these benefits, more and more food companies are now offering supplements,… Read more »