Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Homemade Ice Cream, Using a Vintage Freezer of Course

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This post will be a little different from the normal type of posts that I do.

  I had a few request for our homemade ice cream recipe after I posted a pic on our Facebook page. 
 So here goes...
~Strawberry & Peanut Butter Cup~

We have been making homemade ice cream for as long as I can remember.  Warm summer evenings just call for ice cream, and there is nothing better than homemade.

Basic Vanilla

6 qt. freezer
20 lbs. crushed ice
1 box rock salt

3 qts Half & Half
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt

SOAK WOOD BUCKET FOR A LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE FREEZING, 
OVERNIGHT IS BEST
(this will make the wood expand so it does not leak the ice water)

Whisk together 1 qt. Half & Half with sugar, vanilla and salt.  Pour into canister. (make sure the dasher is in place.)  Add the rest of the Half & Half till the canister is about 3/4 full.  Place canister into wood bucket.  Fill halfway with ice, pour a layer of salt. (be generous) add more ice till it is full and it covers the lid.  Pour on more salt.  

Crank, crank, crank. 
 It is a good time for the boys to show off thier muscles, by seeing how many times they can crank the handle. 
(For an electric, just plug it in and let it turn for about 20 minutes.)


The ice will slowly melt so you need to add more as needed. (the rock salt melts the ice to make ice water.  Ice water is colder than ice, causing the cream to freeze.)
Keep cranking till it will not budge any more.  Carefully remove the top layer of ice. (save)  Take of the lid being careful not to drip any salty water into the ice cream.  Remove the dasher, scraping it off carefully. (or lick it off) :) 


 Place a layer of wax paper over the top of the canister and put the lid back on.  Cover again with the ice you saved and more, completely covering the lid. Cover with a towel.  
Let ripen. (sit for a while to harden more)


Eat. 
Then eat some more. You can't ever stop with one serving. ;)
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This is a basic recipe that can be altered.

 *If you want to do a fruit flaver, 
puree enough peaches or strawberries or blackberries and 2 -3 cups of sugar, salt and vanilla and pour into canister till half full.  Fill the rest of the way with Half & Half. (up to the 3/4 mark on the can)

*If you want to do a vanilla base with candy,
follow the vanilla recipe and add 8-10 bars of crushed candy, or a package of Oreos that have been cut in half.

*If you want a chocolate base,
follow the vanilla recipe and add a bottle of chocolate syrup and decrease the sugar amount.  I have also used a box of chocolate pudding.


Here is what we enjoyed on July 4th this year after a picnic supper at the park.
~Peach, 50/50, Vanilla, Strawberry, Lemon Gelato, Oreo~

We like to use the White Mountain brand of ice cream freezer.  We have both a
 vintage hand crank
and 
and electric freezer.

We like both, but for some reason, the vintage hand crank freezer, freezes a little better. 
 Long vintage enamel spoons are great for serving.

*Yes, there are those times when decide spur-of-the-moment that we want to make ice cream and we don't have time to soak the bucket or to let it ripen.  It stills taste wonderful.  It just might take a little longer for it to get too hard to crank any more, and it might be a little softer. 
 But homemade is always the best!*

I hope this helps those of you who requested the recipe.  And of course I always have to add a little bit about using vintage.  I love vintage!  It seems to be made to last!

Terry (one of the bricoleurs)