Ice cream, sorbets and other frozen desserts have long been an integral part of the menu for many restaurants, and served by almost all restaurants. Often, diners finish their meal with ice cream, either by itself, or an a la mode. Like any dessert, it's critical that it leaves a favorable impression of the dining experience. To help guarantee that this final impression is a pleasant one, ice cream must be properly served and maintained.

Just like any other menu item, superior ice cream starts with high quality ingredients mixed in the proper proportions. One key measure of ice cream quality is the percentage of butterfat. Butterfat provides ice cream with its smooth, silky "mouth feel." Up to a point, the higher the butterfat content, the better the product. Butterfat runs from ten percent for economy ice cream, up to sixteen percent, (or even higher), for the super-premium product.

Another distinguishing characteristic in ice cream is the amount of "over-run", or air incorporated in the product. Over-run is the percentage by which a given amount of ice cream mix increases in volume when frozen. Thus, if ten gallons of mix yields seventeen gallons of finished product after air is incorporated during the freezing process, the ice cream contains seventy-percent over-run. Too little over-run, the product will be dense and unpalatable � too much and it will be fluffy and insubstantial. Better ice cream tends to have over-run of between forty and eighty percent with one-hundred being the maximum allowed.

The most important factor in the production of truly superior ice cream is the quality of the flavoring ingredients. While approximately one-third of all ice cream sales continues to be vanilla, there are literally hundreds of other flavors that have been created over the years. Fruits, nuts, candies, spices, liquors, and syrups are all used to produce flavors that are only limited by the imagination.

Even the finest ice cream will deteriorate if not properly stored and handled. When ice cream is subjected to fluctuations in temperature, tiny ice crystals throughout the product melt and refreeze into larger crystals eventually causing a course, icy mouth-feel. This crystallization occurs more readily as the temperature warms. Ice cream held in storage should be kept in the coldest part of a walk-in freezer. It's a simple rule - the colder the better.

In terms of serving, the ideal temperature should be between zero and five degrees Fahrenheit. At this level, the product is not too difficult to scoop, and crystallization will not be become discernible for at least a week. Also, most customers prefer their ice cream slightly tempered as it tends to release its flavor characteristics more readily, and has a smoother mouth-feel.

Nothing detracts form the enjoyment of the ice cream experience more than ice or frost that has found its way into the product from the walls of the freezer. A regular schedule of defrosting should be established, and is determined by the type of cabinet or freezer, and how often the lids are opened. A visual inspection will reveal if frost accumulation is likely to get into the ice cream.

Finally, ice cream should be scooped with a dipper or spade which has been rinsed with cold water and shaken off. Warm or hot water will cause the product to melt and refreeze, resulting in undesirable crystallization.