Tillamook Ice Cream's Secret To Creamy Goodness Is Pretty Simple

There are a lot of qualities that can make or break the best ice cream brands. The flavors, the spread of crunchy fillings like nuts and chocolate, and the amount of those extra fillings, are all important considerations when talking about top-quality ice cream. Of course, none of those matter if they don't start with a deliciously creamy base. 

One of the best sources of this creamy goodness on the market today is Tillamook ice cream. Yes, Tillamook has tons of great flavors, and it even cuts into every batch of ice cream to make sure the fillings are properly spread throughout. However, at the end of the day, it simply have one of the most creamy, decadent ice creams available in stores.

The secret to that signature flavor and texture comes from more butterfat and less overrun, which is the air that is whipped into the ice cream. Tillamook's vice president of brand marketing Kate Boltin told Mashed that these two elements are what sets Tillamook apart from competitors.

"There is a certain percentage of overrun that you can put into your ice cream," she said. "We lower that in favor of creating more space for more butterfat, which is what gives it that creamy, really delicious mouthfeel that it has."

Tillamook says that the elements that separate it from competitors are air and butterfat, but just how do these qualities affect an ice cream's flavor? Butterfat is the natural fat found in milk, and is one of the primary factors that separates different dairy products. 

For example, ghee is a dairy product that is primarily comprised of butterfats. This is because it has had much of the water content evaporated away, leaving the milk solids and butterfats behind. This gives a decadently rich cooking liquid because of its high concentration of butterfats. Ghee is almost entirely butterfat, which means its butterfat content is usually around 99%.

Ice cream, on the other hand, is much lower. To be considered an ice cream, it only need 10% butterfat. Boltin didn't give an exact percentage, but says Tillamook's product is above the industry standard for ice cream brands, which means it could be considered premium or super-premium. These premium standards range from 12-16% butterfat content, and make up most of the industry's higher end products.

The amount of air incorporated into ice cream can also influence its texture and flavor. More air, and larger air bubbles will create a lighter, more airy product. Slow churning, and smaller air bubbles, will produce an ice cream that is softer, denser, and tastes creamier. 

In fact, one of the main differences between ice cream and gelato is the amount of air that's incorporated. Air is measured by "overrun," which is the percentage the ice cream increases in volume after it's been churned. Gelato is usually about 20%, but other brands that add more air often come in around 100% — meaning that their volume doubled during mixing. Having less air means that you taste more of the creamy goodness in those lower overrun ice creams. 

Tillamook's higher butterfat content also influences this because that extra fat traps the air in smaller bubbles, and helps them to stay small. Not only does this preserve that rich, smooth texture, but it also slows the rate that your ice cream will melt.

When you combine high butterfat and smaller air bubbles you get a rich, decadent mouthfeel — like the kind that Tillamook ice cream has become known for.