Fats & Oils
Butter in gelato
Butter is concentrated milkfat (about 82% fat, 16% water, 2% milk solids-non-fat). In gelato it is a dense, water-lean fat source used to raise richness and fat content without diluting the mix.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 84% |
| Water | 16% |
| Sugars | 0% |
| Fat | 82% |
| MSNF | 2% |
| Protein | 1% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 0 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 0 |
Typical use: Typically 0-6% of the mix, most often 1-4% as a targeted fat correction.
Balance butter in a real recipe
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Butter is used to boost fat and body when cream alone would add too much water, or to enrich lean bases and fior di latte style recipes. Because it contains essentially no sugars, butter contributes nothing to POD (sweetness) or PAC (anti-freezing power), so it does not soften the freezing curve the way sugars do. Its role is textural: milkfat coats ice crystals, slows their growth, and delivers a richer, creamier, warmer-scooping gelato. Add it melted to the warm base so it emulsifies fully. Always prefer unsalted butter, since salt is an extremely potent freezing-point depressant that would distort PAC.
Origin & background
Butter is one of the oldest processed dairy foods, churned from cream for millennia. Modern trade standards codified its makeup: the U.S. and Codex Alimentarius require a minimum of 80% milkfat, while the European Union sets a higher 82% minimum for 'butter', with no more than 16% water and about 2% non-fat milk solids.