Ice, baby!

(Doc Brown's Artisan Ice Cream is the only state-certified batch ice creamery in Arizona, focusing on creating new, unique and innovative recipes and products.  And he has the equipment with which to do it.)

If you had any doubt that Doc Watson created a clear vision and a fully-conceived business strategy to build a (major) ice cream and frozen dessert business, just take a look at the man's equipment.

Start with that critically important pasteurizing.  Doc's is the only artisan ice cream company in the state that's licensed to produce its own (custom) ice cream base (ice cream base is a custard made with milk, cream, sugar and egg yolks, heated together.  Most ice cream makers purchase a pre-made, pasteurized mix; Doc bought the machine and got himself licensed by the state.).

"The base is where all of the ice creams and gelatos begin," Doc explains.

"We don't process milk," he continues, "so we start with pasteurized milk and cream, and add everything else to mix, cool and age- 150 gallons at a time."

Doing this, he adds, allows him to customize every step of the base-making process.

Then there are the two batch freezers.  These are used for bulk ice cream or gelato and, again - they're high capacity.

"These freeze 24 quarts about every eight to 10 minutes," he says, "and it keeps going as long as you need it to run (the freezers hold about 100 gallons at any one time)."

Then there's the blast freezer, from MasterBuilt.  This freezer has ultra-low temperatures (down to -45 degrees Fahrenheit).

"Ice cream and gelato need to cure, and this freezer helps us minimize the crystallization in both gelato and ice cream.

"When you can minimize water crystallization in your product, you increase smoothness.  It's what gives ice cream or gelato that yummy, creamy-goodness feel against your tongue."

Finally, Doc uses a high production pop freezer for his fruit or ice cream popsicles. 

"Depending on the size of the popsicles, we can process up to 750 pieces per hour."

Even better - they can process diverse flavors and sizes within that hour, allowing Doc Watson's a broad opportunity to meet customer wants rather quickly

"We're both willing and very capable of working with chefs across the state to develop recipes and meet special needs," Doc says.

Just as importantly - they'll work with their customers until there's a product everyone's happy with.

"This is one instance in which we can honestly say, we are limited only by a chef's imagination and creativity.  If you can think it - we can produce it."

(Doc's Artisan Ice Cream can be found at 1221 Warner Road, Ste. 104, in Tempe.  Chat with him at work by calling (602) 618-8719, or catch him on his cell at (602) 909-8246.)