Jorjanne
Ice cream in general is always delicious, but there’s something about homemade ice cream that’s even tastier! I’m not sure if homemade ice cream is a strictly southern tradition or not, but I know it’s a summertime tradition for our family! There are lots of recipes, but I’ve perfected a simple vanilla recipe, which is always a crowd-pleaser. Once you have a basic recipe like this, you can make variations with whatever fruit is in season, or even make chocolate using cocoa powder.
Many recipes call for eggs in the mixture, which you cook on the stove, then have to cool before making the ice cream. That’s too much trouble for me. Other recipes don’t cook the eggs, which is supposed to be safe because of the churning, but I don’t trust it. Therefore, my recipe does not have eggs in it. It is however, full of cream and condensed milk, so it is certainly not for the lactose intolerant!
Like I’ve said, I like to keep things simple, so I mix up my ice cream right in the canister for the ice cream churn. Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 can condensed milk, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. The sugar won’t dissolve, but make sure it’s all distributed evenly. Add 1 pint heavy whipping cream and 1 quart half and half. Top off with whole milk to the fill line on the canister. Stir to incorporate the condensed milk mixture.
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The dasher - the part that does the churning - goes inside the canister. Put the lid on, then get ready to start your engine, or ice cream churn! Follow directions for your churn on how to put the motor on your ice cream churn, but you'll need to be sure the dasher is inserted through the lid into the motor and the motor is locked onto the outside bucket.
If you’ve never made homemade ice cream, there are a few items you will need in addition to your recipe: a churn, rock salt, ice, towels. You can usually purchase an ice cream churn at Wal-Mart or many other grocery stores, especially this time of year, as well as online like at amazon.com. They can range in price from $25 up to $70 for a basic churn, with fancier options that don’t require ice or rock salt running up to $250. I say stick to the $25-$40 range unless you’re going to make ice cream several days a week. The rock salt can also be purchased at most grocery stores. Once you’ve filled your canister and placed it in the churn, you’ll need to layer ice and rock salt all around the canister. Helpful hint: I usually plug in the churn to get it started after I put the first layers in so the churn can spin freely and not get caught up on pieces of ice. The towels can be placed around the top of the churn to insulate it or underneath to catch condensation or overflow. I usually set my churn in the sink or in a large pan because as the churn makes the ice cream, the ice melts, causing water to spill out of a hole at the top for this purpose.
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The motor on the churn can be pretty loud, so you may want to put it in another room or outside, where you can close the door on it. Most models of ice cream churns will stop running when the ice cream is ready. You just need to listen for the motor to stop, then unplug it. When you remove the canister of ice cream, be careful not to allow the salty water into the lid. You don’t want to ruin all your effort!
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Your ice cream will be a soft set, even a bit softer than regular soft-serve. I like this texture, but if you want it a bit thicker, use more whipping cream than the recipe calls for. You can also freeze any leftovers, making it a bit icy, which is how my husband, Chris, enjoys it. Be sure to freeze it in a different container, not the canister. I used to freeze leftover ice cream in the canister, and this is how I learned my lesson. One time, Chris used knife or some other sharp object to dig out the remaining ice cream. He washed the canister and put it back in the churn for storage. The next time I made ice cream, when we dipped it out, ready for cold, sweet, creamy goodness, we ended up with a mouthful of a salty mess instead!
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Undoubtedly, when Chris used the knife in the canister, he somehow made some tiny holes, which didn’t leak out the ice cream, but siphoned in the salt water! It was awful and sooooo disappointing!
This vanilla recipe is delicious all on its own, but feel free to top it with fresh fruit, like berries or peaches. Yum!
So, for your next get-together, try your hand at homemade ice cream. It’s sure to be a hit at any gathering!
So, for your next get-together, try your hand at homemade ice cream. It’s sure to be a hit at any gathering!
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