Rennet Ice Cream

[Sailor Con Queso]

This recipe has actually been around for decades. If any of you use Junket (a tablet form of rennet), the recipe is in the box. The basic idea is that the Junket/Rennet partially curdles the milk, making a custard base without the eggs or much cooking. Unlike liquid rennet, you can usually find Junket in the pudding section at most grocery stores. I haven't tried it, but liquid animal rennet would probably leave a little bitterness. Junket does not.

This makes about 2 Quarts

1 Cup Sugar   3 Cups Whole Milk   2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream   4 tsp. Vanilla Flavoring   3 Junket Tablets (disolved in 2 tbsp cold water)

Combine all of the ingredients except for the Junket in a saucepan.
Heat to 110 F while stirring constantly.
Want "French" Vanilla? Just add a few drops of Annato (yellow cheese coloring). Doesn't change the flavor, but it looks fabulous.
Remove from heat
Stir in the disolved Junket.
Let sit UNDISTURBED for 10 minutes. (This is the magic part. Just like making cheese)   
Check for a "clean break".   NO, NO. Just kidding.
You now have a thick yogurt-like custard.

Chill and make ice cream like you normally would.
We stick ours (covered) in the freezer until it just starts to harden just a bit. That way it freezes quicker in the ice cream maker.
Of course you can add chocolate, fruit or lots of other things to taste.

You can actually just stick this in your freezer without using an ice cream maker. Still great, but it's not as creamy.

This is the creamiest ice cream I have ever tasted. Be careful. It's addictive.   

[DeejayDebi]

Very interesting Sailor! I will have to try this at some point. Thank you

[Zoey]

Sounds great! I think I'm trying this with liquid rennet, since here in Finland, that's all I've got.
Now where did I put that ice cream machine I thought I would never use again...

[Sailor Con Queso]

I would use very little liquid rennet the first time so you don't get a bitter taste. There are conversions somewhere for Junket to Rennet, but I would use much less. You normally only let the mix sit for 10-15 minutes after adding Junket. However, if you go really light on the liquid rennet, it might need to sit a little longer. Just watch it until the mix starts to flocculate (thicken). You just want the milk to START setting. You're not trying to take the curds completely to a "clean break". 

[riha]

Cool idea, Sailor. Thanks for the post! This one goes into the Gotta Try That -list.

Zoey, have you tried yet? How much rennet did you use?

[Zoey]

Not yet, my ice cream machine is buried somewhere in moving boxes (we've only lived here for 8 months )

[Sailor Con Queso]

According to Ricci Carrol's website 1 rennet tablet = 1 teaspoon of liquid rennet. Since the recipe I posted calls for 3 Junket tablets, this would equal 3 teaspoons of liquid rennet. NO WAY. The conversion has to be a BIG mistake on her website. Do NOT use that much rennet.

I only use a MAX of 1/2 tsp per 2 gallons of milk when I'm making cheese - usually less. That would translate to 1/8 of a tsp. for 1/2 gallon of ice cream mix. From MY rennet bottle dropper, I know that 18 drops = 1/2 tsp. So 1/8 tsp would be 4.5 drops of liquid rennet in a 1/2 gallon recipe. I would use 4 or 5 drops. It's not rocket science, so if the mix doen't thicken within 10 minutes, just wait a little longer. You can always add a little more next time. 

[DeejayDebi]

David B. Fankhauser, Ph.D (I have more faith in his typing)

One tablet of Junket rennet is equivalent to 20 drops of fresh liquid rennet.

[riha]

The rennet I use (liquid kind, local bran) says to use 2 teaspoons per 10 liters of milk. So 3 tsp would be enough to coagulate 15 liters for cheesemaking. 1/2 gallon being a bit less than 2 liters, I'd say that's a bit of an overkill

So when I get around trying, I think I'll go with 2 milliliters for the first batch and work it out from there.

Damn, now I feel like trying right now but the time being almost eleven in the evening, I think I'll have to wait...

[DeejayDebi]

For hard cheese you would use 1/2 Junket tablet per gallon of milk I don't imagine Ice Cream would be that high. 3 Tabs is alot!

Rennet Equivalents
Junket Rennet   Liquid Rennet   Gallons of Inoculated Milk
1 Tablet                 20 drops or 1 tsp                     5 gallons
1/2 Tablet                 10 drops or 1/2 tsp         2  to 2 1/2 gallons
1/4 Tablet                  5 drops or 1/4 tsp               1  to 1 1/4 gallon

[Sailor Con Queso]

3 tabs DOES seem like overkill, but that's what the recipe calls for (of course they're trying to sell Junket tablets). I think the idea is to get a strong floculation (thickening) quickly and then immediately refrigerate or start making ice cream. The cold temp stops any further rennet action. We make this every week and it works perfectly. I'm sure you could use less and just let it sit longer if necessary. I also think 4 or 5 drops of liquid rennet in a 1/2 gallon batch would do the trick. I'm going to use liquid rennet this week. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[DeejayDebi]

I may have to dig out that Junket Icecream mix and see what's inside ...

[jamiescot]

Junket is made of condensed milk and rennet isn't it? I haven't eaten it for quite sometime now, but I really love the taste and texture of it. Just thinking of it makes my mouth watery, but unluckily I am in a place where junket is not available in the market. Maybe they have different name for it in their own dialect. I guess I'll just save the recipe and try it once I am home. For now, for my sweet tooth  I just rely on my Scotsman Ice Machine for ice and sweet milk mixed with ripe strawberries.

[DeejayDebi]

Not sure where you are from Jamie but here Junket products are kept in the pudding section of the grocery stores.

[teegr]

Hi, I started using Junket RENNET TABLETS to make cheese and LOW fat ice cream  back in the 70's when I had tons of kids to keep happy.  The ice cream was yummy...sort of tasted like frozen yogurt, but not so tangy.  I have some in the cupboard as I type.  The "JUNKET" desert mix  and the JUNKET ICE CREAM mix is something you can actually get a package of that does have rennet and other ingredients for a one use desert.  But it is different from the box of RENNET made by the JUNKET BRAND. 

 I just used the Junket RENNET tablets and made the desert recipe in the box called "JUNKET DESERT". There is also a recipe for Junket Desert which you add your own ingredients to that is on the recipe page inside the Rennet by Junket brand.  Hope that is clear to ya'll that didn't grow up in the 70's.  The box of JUNKET desert is occasionally found here in the Pacific NW...but it is worthless for cheese, not sure about ice cream. 

The Junket brand of RENNET is much much harder to find...I searched every grocery store and then some for a 20 mile radius and couldn't find it.  I did find it ONCE by accident but it was not with the jello stuff...it was on bottom shelve by the spices, nuts, coconut.  Most people you ask at the stores don't have a clue what your asking for and will usually tell you they don't have it.  Like I said...I gave up trying to find it and found it at one store quite by accident.  The boxes were quite dusty and had no expiration date so I've been a tad concerned with how old it is since clearly it wasn't a fast moving product. LOL   IF you do find it...try making the  ice-cream with 2% for a lowfat ice cream.  It does get a little ice crystally if you store the finished ice-cream in the freezer...but rarely did I have any left overs so it wasn't a problem.  IF you do plan to store it in freezer for later...I'd recommend the whole milk and cream version as it does freeze without ice crystalling.  Junket desert (or custard as we called it) was usually the first desert we severed our babies back then and they loved it and it was so easy to make with the junket rennet tablets.