Why does home made ice cream become a stone in the freezer and store ice cream is still scoopable?

Is there something I can add to my home made ice cream so it doesn't become frozen like an ice cube?Why does home made ice cream become a stone in the freezer and store ice cream is still scoopable?
store bought icecream is whipped full of air, up to 50%. that makes it soft enough to scoop at freezer temps.Why does home made ice cream become a stone in the freezer and store ice cream is still scoopable?
store bought icecream is full of air


which makes it softer, creamier


homemade ice cream is generally made to be eaten right away
There are chemicals that they add that you don't have access to, look on the average container of ice cream and all those words you can't pronounce easily if at all, those are them.





The air in the mix is also an issue.





If you want to learn more about this kind of stuff I recommend the ';Good Eats'; program on Food Network if you get that channel.
If it is a custard based ice cream prepared with high fat cream (36%), it will be less inclined to turn into a solid brick. Also, too much sugar can make it harder.





Commercially made ice cream has a lot of air in it - this can be seen when cheaper brands melt ... you end up with a good bit of foam.





There really is nothing you can add to it to stop the harder freezing. That is just the nature of homemade ice cream.





The way I deal with it is to temper it. Take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge for about 20 - 30 minutes before serving.
Air - your not leaving the dasher running long enough. The more air you have in the mix the softer it will stay. Another good trick is to use lower fat milk (3%) instead of cream (6%) (and it has less calories). Good Luck!
Commercially produced ice cream contains air mixed into it. This is called over-run. Regular brands have 100% product and 100% air, the premium brands have closer to 80% air. This helps make it soft. Also the emulsifiers and the stabilizers-'chemicals'-play a part. Some sorbets and granita recipes have alcohol in them. This will keep them from freezing completely. Homemade ice cream is such a great thing that I wouldn't want to add anything to it to make it more like the store brands. Just take it out or put it in the fridge before you plan to serve it. And then -save some for me!
cause store ice cream has tons of air and also additives


vs. home made one just have natural basic ingredients without the added air, preservatives or additives
If you put your freezer to the lowest setting, it won't be that hard. It's easy to scoop. Our freezer has settings from 1-5. I put it on 1. Meats are still frozen...
It's because before scooping, most ice cream stores keep their scoopers in hot water, so when they scoop the ice cream, it is a lot easier.