Louis Francois Super Neutrose in a 1 kg tub, a special stabilising agent for sorbets and ice cream, dosed in grams per litre of mix.
Louis Francois is a French pastry supplier based in Croissy-Beaubourg, east of Paris, and its tubs are easy to spot in a pastry storeroom: white plastic, a red screw lid and a plain red-and-black label. Super Neutrose is the one labelled as a special stabilising agent for sorbets and ice cream, and the tub gives a recommended dose in grams per litre of finished mix, alongside a 1 kg net weight. As general background, sorbet is commonly described as a frozen dessert made using ice combined with fruit juice or fruit puree. Neutrose blends are typically chosen for exactly that style of dessert, where there is little or no dairy to give body. Commonly, gelato makers weigh the powder on a gram scale, whisk it into the dry sugars so it disperses without lumps, then add it to the fruit base before churning. Pastry chefs use it in mango, lemon, raspberry and passion fruit sorbets for plated desserts, hotel buffets and cafe display cabinets. A small dose goes a long way, so a single 1 kg tub typically covers many batches of sorbet in a busy season. Write the batch weight on the tub lid. Keep the lid tightly closed between uses, because a humid kitchen can make fine powders cake.