sugars in gelato
Sugar is a fundamental ingredient in gelato as it not only makes it sweeter and more pleasant to the palate but, thanks to its anti-freezing power, it prevents the water present inside the gelato from becoming ice, both during the final phase of production and during storage in the display case. It also allows maintaining a soft and workable structure despite the low temperatures.
Normally in the gelato production are used different types of sugar to obtain the desired structure and flavor as each sugar has a different anti-freezing and sweetening power and, depending on the type of processing of the sugar cane, the flavor can change as well.
The main sugar is sucrose, known as the classic table sugar, which is extracted from cane or sugar beet and is the most used.
It’s also used as the measurement unit for all sugars, which is why it has assigned an anti-freezing power (called PAC) of 100% and a sweetening power (called POD) of 100%.
On average, in recipes, sucrose accounts for about 70% of total sugars.
Other sugars with the same values as sucrose but with a different flavor and color are, for example, muscovado, demerara and turbinado: they are all more humid and aromatic sugars thanks to the presence of a part of molasses. They are also defined as "raw cane sugar" because they are processed without reaching the final stage of the process that leads to the complete removal of all molasses residues (for this reason, sucrose is white).
The second type of sugar most used in gelato is dextrose, which is obtained from corn starch. It’s less sweet than sucrose (POD 75%) but has an almost double anti-freezing power, 180% against 100%, for this reason it’s used in smaller quantities than sucrose.
In addition, there are other types of sugars that can be used in small quantities, such as glucose syrups, glucose powder, maltodextrins, inverted sugar syrup, fructose and honey.
Finally, there is also lactose, which is the sugar in milk, and is also found in cream and fresh cheeses. It’s a sugar that shouldn’t be underestimated as an excess of lactose causes a "sandy" gelato.
Obviously not all these sugars mentioned above are used in the recipes, only some (or even none), based on the final result we want to obtain.
In any case, it’s good to remember that in gelato the total sugars must remain within certain parameters, normally between 16% and 22%, while sorbets have slightly higher values and can reach up to about 30%.
A gelato with too much sugar will tend to be very soft, almost watery, and will have a shiny appearance; on the contrary, a gelato with not enough sugar will be difficult to work with and will tend to “break” as it’s too hard.
Finally, let's not forget that gelato is still a dessert, and therefore contains a greater quantity of calories than other foods, but remaining in the desserts category it’s certainly one of the healthiest as, if artisanal, it’s made with quality ingredients, therefore it’s rich in nutritional properties, and contains fewer calories in the same quantity than other sweets.