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In case your kitchen counter is at the moment housing a Vitamix blender, you understand which you could whip up some severe soups, sauces, and nut butters in that factor. In reality, my Vitamix’s scorching soup perform is one in every of my favourite methods to make use of it. However it’s virtually summer season, and I’m not within the temper for soup. Now I crave chilled treats. Can my favourite blender, the Vitamix Ascent X5 go from scorching soup to sorbet? Sure, and surprisingly nicely. Right here’s the right way to make your self a frozen dessert on this wonderful blender.
The Vitamix just isn’t an ice cream machine
It’s essential to notice that the Vitamix is a blender, and never an ice cream machine. Most ice cream machines have some type of cooling mechanism (whether or not coolant, a compressor, or a frozen bowl) to relax the combination whereas a dasher or auger incorporates air—the smaller the air bubbles, the creamier the feel.
The Vitamix doesn’t have a cooling system. The blades create warmth, so as an alternative it makes use of them, and pace, to its benefit. This implies it is advisable work in reverse—add already frozen meals to the blender and it’ll whip air into the combination because it chops up the substances. Then all it’s important to do is freeze the ensuing soft-serve texture right into a extra stable state.
As a lot as I get pleasure from a specialty equipment just like the Ninja Slushi (it’s fairly badass), the multipurpose Vitamix Ascent X5 blender actually caters to my tiny kitchen’s area limitations. I must do a number of various things with a choose few home equipment, and the Vitamix’s frozen dessert capabilities add an entire new class to my residence menus. (Whereas the Ascent X5 makes issues simpler, you should use any Vitamix—I am going to add these directions on the finish of this text.)
Methods to use the frozen dessert perform on the Vitamix Ascent X5
1. Contemplate the substances
A very powerful factor to contemplate is the ratio of your frozen to liquid substances. Since this blender doesn’t have a cooling system to make frozen desserts, it is advisable add the coldest stuff you’ll be able to, whereas nonetheless offering sufficient liquid to maneuver the frozen stuff round so the blades can catch it.
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
The Vitamix web site provides the rule of thumb of 1 cup frozen to ¼ cup liquid. This quantity of liquid, together with some vigorous tamping with the plastic tamper bat, will lead to a thick, delicate serve-like consistency which you could get pleasure from instantly, or freeze to a extra stable, ice cream-like state. To experiment, I used two cups of frozen banana slices, and a half-cup of a sweetened vegan cream. (Forgive me, however I’ve a lactose illiberal Italian-American companion who could be livid if I used common heavy cream.) Add all the pieces to the blender container and safe the lid.
2. Decide your preset
Flip the ability on. Press the three line “burger” button and also you’ll see an array of meals icons seem on the digital show. Use the rotating dial to pick the one that appears like a tall stemmed glass with a pompadour and somewhat spoon deal with.
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Have your plastic tamper prepared—this half solely takes 50 seconds.
What do you suppose up to now?
3. Mix and tamp
Press the beginning button. Take out the lid’s central plug and begin tamping the substances with the tamper. The machine will begin at a slower pace and ramp up fairly shortly. Your solely job is to power frozen objects down into the blender blades. As soon as all of them lastly disappear into the combination you’ll be able to finish your tamping session.
4. Search for the “quadrants”
Bear in mind once I talked about making scorching soup on this factor? Nicely, the explanation the soup will get scorching is due to the warmth that builds from the friction of blades working at excessive speeds. You need that warmth to occur as little as doable in your frozen dessert. This setting solely runs for 50 seconds however for those who see 4 humps, or quadrants, forming within the combine, then that’s the tell-tale signal that your dessert is totally clean and completed mixing. It ought to seem like this:
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
When you see the quadrants, cease the preset, even when there’s time left. My combination was completed after 40 seconds, so I ended the machine and labored shortly to decant it right into a metallic loaf pan that I had chilled within the freezer earlier. I sprinkled some chopped chocolate on prime and popped it into the freezer for a pair hours to set.
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Not solely does this frozen dessert scoop like a dream, however the texture and taste are unimaginable. Whereas it is technically not true ice cream, it eats like ice cream. I used to be afraid after freezing it stable that it could be rock stable, however no—the combination is properly aerated and the consistency is creamy and clean.
Methods to use a Vitamix with no chilly deal with preset
In the event you don’t have the Ascent X 5 mannequin, you’ll be able to nonetheless use any Vitamix blender the identical approach, you simply have to manage the pace with the dial your self. Begin on a low pace so the blades can catch the substances after which ramp as much as the highest pace inside the subsequent 10 to fifteen seconds. Look for a similar quadrants to kind, after which flip off the blender. Get able to spend the summer season exploring any frozen dessert taste mixture you’ll be able to dream up.
