Real Pure Ice Cream
Why do I keep calling it "Real" Ice Cream? Because this recipe doesn't use eggs (more on that later). I want the pure cream of ice cream. If you do too, then you are in the right place. No eggs in sight.
Photo used under Creative Commons from Flickr
You'll need an Ice Cream Maker
Some ice cream salt and ice too
An ice cream maker is also referred to as an ice cream freezer, but that word "freezer" causes some confusion sometimes, so I call it an ice cream maker. There are lots of options, but just for the record I use a Rival brand I've had for about 10 years and it works great.There are some newly designed ice cream makers that do not require you to use ice and salt. The trade off is that you chill a gel-filled canister in the freezer for several hours.
Here are some good options if you are in the market
Rival 8550-X 5-Quart Wooden Electric Ice Cream Maker
Here's nostalgia without all the work! It's wooden BUT has an electric motor so you don't have to crank anything.
Amazon Price: $79.94 (as of 12/09/2009) 
List Price: $89.99
Rival Electric 4-Quart Ice Cream Maker
Here's a great basic model. Hummm. Looks like it's the same kind I own.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/09/2009)
List Price: $29.99
Cuisinart ICE-20R 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt & Sorbet Maker, Red
This is the type that uses the gel filled canister I mentioned. Also comes in white. Has rave reviews and the price is right too.
Amazon Price: $48.94 (as of 12/09/2009)
List Price: $90.00
How often do you make homemade ice cream?
Ingredients for Real Vanilla Ice Cream
Buy at AllPosters.com
- 1 quart cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
You can use any combination of cream that you like. You can use whipping cream or half-n-half or whole milk. I like 2 cups whipping cream and 2 cups half-n-half. But you could use 1 cup whipping cream and 3 cups half-n-half or 3 cups whipping cream and 1 cup half-n-half (you get the picture). Just make sure you end up with one quart. A quick note: the ice cream base will almost double in volume when churned. I tested this recently and 4 cups (1 qt.) of the base yielded almost 8 cups of ice cream.
NOTES ON USING MILK: Be aware that whole milk may not be thick enough to slow and then stop your ice cream maker. Normally, the machine slowing to a stop indicates that the ice cream is ready. So you'll need to keep an eye and ear out and if your machine slows down at all. Your ice cream may be done before you realize it.
There is a little flexibility with the amount of sugar. I wouldn't go lower than 2/3 cup or higher than 1 cup.
Use the real stuff.
This is your vanilla ice cream base. If you want to jazz it up, scroll down a little.
You'll need rock salt
Morton Ice Cream Salt 4Lb
Can't go wrong with Morton's Ice Cream Salt
Amazon Price: $1.88 (as of 12/09/2009)
Nielsen-Massey Pure Coffee Extract
I just tried this version: In place of using vanilla, try using coffee extract. Start with adding 1 teaspoon to your ice cream base and taste (it's stronger than vanilla). Add another 1/2 teaspoon if needed. It's smooth and perfectly coffee flavored. You won't believe it.
Amazon Price: $5.89 (as of 12/09/2009)
The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More
Bruce Weinstein first explains types of ice creams and ice cream makers. Then recipes are one-to-a-page (my favorite cookbook layout) and each recipe has several variations. There are recipes with and without eggs. Also sections for sorbets, ice cream toppings, drinks and more. The value of this book is in the inspiration you'll get for making your own flavors. Don't miss his technique for flavoring coffee ice cream - genius! This book is a keeper.
Amazon Price: $12.23 (as of 12/09/2009)
Instructions for making the ice cream
You can make it right now or better yet, make it tomorrow
BUT if you want your flavors to blast into orbit, I highly recommend waiting 'til tomorrow. You'll have one more step involved (scalding) and a little more waiting, but the flavor reward will be well worth it. Here's how you do it:
- Mix cream, sugar and salt (not the vanilla) together in large sauce pan.
- Cook on medium heat
Heat the mixture, but DO NOT boil. The best way to stay safe (and not boil or burn your cream) is to just stay with it and keep stirring. When you see small bubbles forming around the edge of the pan, the mixture is almost warm enough. Keep stirring until you see a little steam starting to rise from the cream mixture. Immediately take it off the burner. - Cool the mixture
The cream mixture needs to cool before you add the vanilla. You could just leave the pan out to cool off, but this takes too long and I don't like the idea of leaving a milk product out on the counter for an extended amount of time. Here's what I do: get another bowl a little larger than your saucepan and add ice water to it. Gently place your saucepan into the larger pan being careful not to splash water into your ice cream mixture. Gently stirring the mixture will cool it quickly. Here's a picture. - Stir in vanilla
- Chill mixture
Pour mixture into a container with a tight lid and chill overnight in the fridge - Make the ice cream
Now that you've done all the work (and have waited patiently), follow the instructions on your ice cream maker and kick back. - Ripen ice cream....or not
Most ice cream makers recommend to "ripen" the ice cream right away. This will make the ice cream harder. Don't do this. This ice cream is going to be at its very best immediately after it is made. You WILL have to put what's left in the freezer but go ahead and enjoy it now. Besides, you've waited long enough. - Store what's left (if there is any)
Homemade ice cream is very dense when frozen. After all, you've used the purest ingredients available with no fillers. And the ice cream hasn't been whipped to a fluff with air simply to create more volume. Very dense=very hard. Soften by placing in the fridge for 10 minutes before serving your next round. And be sure to check out the ice cream containers when you scroll down.
How to make it Strawberry or Peach
This is ohhhhhh so easy
Add 2 cups of fruit puree stirred with one teaspoon lemon juice to the ice cream base.If you're making the ice cream right away, just add the fruit puree right in with all the other ingredients.
If you're scalding the cream mixture and chilling the mix overnight do it this way: add the fruit puree when you add the vanilla (after the mixture has cooled).
Used under Creative Commons from Flickr
You'll want to read these helpful notes
For strawberry:
You'll need about 1.5 pounds of strawberries (pre-cleaned weight from the grocery or farm). Wash, remove stems and chop them up a little. Now get your food processor out and give them a whirl. The amount of processing depends on how big you like the pieces of strawberry in your ice cream. I don't like huge hunks in mine so I give it several whirls. Add one teaspoon lemon juice and stir.
Peach:
You'll need about 2 pounds of peaches (pre-cleaned weight from the grocery or farm). Wash, peel, and remove peach stone. Depending on what kind of peaches you have, you may need to remove some of the red, hard fruit from the center of the peach too. Chop prepared peaches into approx. 1/2" pieces. Using your processor, give them a whirl. The amount of processing depends on how big you like the peach pieces in your ice cream. Don't use huge peach chunks in your ice cream - they will be hard as rocks and hard to eat. Add one teaspoon lemon juice and stir.
NOTE: Peaches will turn brown soon after peeling and handling. To avoid this, clean and prepare them immediately before adding them to the base.
Candy Bar Version
Give this a try
Another fun idea is to chop up a candy bar (or two) into your ice cream. I recommend Snickers or Milky Way.If you're making the ice cream right away, just add the candy bar chunks in with all the other ingredients.
If you're scalding the cream mixture and chilling the mix overnight do it this way: go ahead and chill the mix overnight and add the candy bar chunks to the base just before adding the base to your ice cream maker.
Used under Creative Commons from Flickr
Why do I keep calling it "Real" Ice Cream?
By definition, Ice Cream is a mixture of cream, sugar and flavoring. This simple mixture is sometimes referred to as Philadelphia Style ice cream. When you add eggs, you're actually making a frozen custard. Custard is defined as a sweetened mixture of milk and eggs. However, it has become widely accepted to use the term "Ice Cream" when using eggs.I'm not knocking custard. In fact, most recipes for ice cream do call for eggs. However, what my heart longs for is that creamy goodness that comes from the 3-ingredient base.
Storing Ice Cream
Now there's a solution
Storing leftover ice cream has been a challenge to folks who make homemade ice cream since the beginning of time. Until now the best we could do was put the remainder of the ice cream in a plastic container with a lid and store in the freezer. The results were not good. I've broken plastic containers everytime I've done this. And the ice cream suffers too.Thankfully you can now buy a product made especially for the home user. Available from Amazon. See the link below.
Those Ice Cream Containers I was telling you about
IC Lovers, here's the answer to your prayers
Wooden Barrel Quart Size Frozen Dessert Containers - 25pk
The design of this one is the nostalgic hand cranked churn.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/09/2009)
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Let me know you stopped by and tell about your favorite ice cream.
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- I-luv-Freebies I-luv-Freebies Nov 19, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
- Yum Yum!! Wow!! This is a great lens!! The pics are making me really want some fresh ice cream!! Thanks for the info!
=D
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- BFuniv.com BFuniv.com Nov 16, 2009 @ 6:27 pm
- As kids every family event required hand cranked fresh ice cream - to a kid it took forever and caused quavering muscles for everyone in the relay. Haven't had it in years - but still sounds yummy. For salt I might be tempted to try a 50 lb sack of rock salt as used in water softeners, just a buck or two, available at all those big handyman type centers.
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- tandemonimom tandemonimom Nov 10, 2009 @ 9:15 pm
- Incredible. I'm going to have to make this with some raw milk for some real *raw* ice cream! Lensrolled to my raw milk debate lens.
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- arncyn arncyn Oct 30, 2009 @ 11:28 am
- What a great lens, so organized and nicely presented. I would love to try making real ice cream. Maybe tomorrow. (; 5* and favorited
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- sparklenz sparklenz Oct 28, 2009 @ 1:06 am
- Real icecream looks like the best. I never like buying the tubs at the supermarket once I remember to look at the ingredients on the back - so many chemicals. Real and natural is the way to go!
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- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Sep 15, 2009 @ 4:21 pm
- As a reward for my students (last spring) we made ice cream during class. It was good, but making it in ziplock bags was a chore. Nex time I'll use an ice cream maker.
Thanks for sharing
Lizzy
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- Tipi Tipi Aug 31, 2009 @ 1:51 pm
- Been years since I had home-made ice cream. Yummy! Bookmarked this one.
Thanks for sharing!
Susie
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- stargazer00 stargazer00 Aug 30, 2009 @ 12:57 am
- We always made our with eggs but I think I'd like to try your recipe.
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Puzzlemaker - That's Me
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